38 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



generally situated at the first large branch of a tall 

 fir tree, but I think the old nest of some other species 

 is often occupied by this species. 



The eggs, two or three in number, are of a dirty 

 white, sparingly marked with spots of light reddish 

 brown, and are somewhat smaller and rounder than 

 those of the Kite. The Buzzard has a plaintive 

 wailing cry, to which it gives frequent utterance at 

 all times of the year. 



There are certain parts of England in which this 

 species appears as an irregular bird of passage, not 

 remaining long ; but all birds, and very notably the 

 birds of prey, are so much influenced by local causes, 

 weather, abundance or scarcity of food &c., that it is 

 difficult in many instances to assign positively the 

 epithets migratory or sedentary. The only com- 

 paratively recent occurrence of the Buzzard in North- 

 amptonshire, of which I have record, was in January 

 1866, when one, which had been seen several times 

 previously, was killed in Blatherwycke Park, near 

 King's Cliffe, as I am informed by Mr. A. G. Elliot, 

 of Stamford. 



Since the above article appeared in the ' Journal of 

 the Norths. Nat. History Society,' a few more instances 

 of the occurrence of the present species in our county 

 have come to my knowledge ; as I have already 

 recorded most of these in the pages of the ' Zoologist,' 

 I do not go into details here. A Buzzard was shot 

 in Geddington Chase in May 1882, and sent to me 

 stuffed in 1887. About the middle of November 

 1883 a Buzzard was heard by me, and subsequently 

 seen and clearly identified by several persons in the 

 neighbourhood of Wadenhoe and Lilford. In the 



