32 BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



Buzzard's nest is two. The majority of 

 those I have seen have not been hand- 

 somely marked, but I remember one 

 clutch of three which were the very 

 finest eggs I have ever looked upon. 



Just at the time when the first egg is 

 laid, the birds place in the nest a few 

 green leaves. Sometimes these are ivy 

 leaves, at other times the leaves of the 

 mountain ash, but all through the time 

 of incubation fresh green leaves are 

 placed in the nest. I have often won- 

 dered why the birds did this ; perhaps it 

 is so that the eggs shall have a certain 

 amount of dampness around them ; but 

 I rather believe it is for decorative pur- 

 poses, for there is no doubt that the 

 Buzzard, like the Kite, likes to have its 

 nest smart. Five years ago, I found a 

 nest on a ledge of a cliff, where unfor- 

 tunately it was impossible to climb with 

 a camera, which was decorated in a most 

 wonderful manner. Long before we 



