COMMON BUZZARD. 203 



tive, or rather it appears to be so ; the flight 

 is heavy but buoyant, and when hunting it is per 

 formed in low sweeps, during which it survey 

 the ground, and pounces on any thing living 

 which may catch attention; it never attempts to 

 secure a prey on the wing by pursuit. The food 

 consists of almost every thing, the smaller mam- 

 malia, such as mice or moles, the young of game, 

 or moorland birds, frogs, toads, &c. It is often 

 described as watching from an eminence or 

 decayed tree, thence sweeping down on the prey 

 when discovered, and for this purpose remaining 

 for hours in one situation ; we have never seen it 

 so employed, and have always considered its long 

 stationary perches as the result of repletion, and 

 as a resting place after the exertion of hunting 

 and feeding, and we have known the same station 

 taken up day after day, and hours spent in a 

 motionless dose. When roused from this perch, 

 or during the season of incubation, the flight is \ 

 slow and majestic ; the birds rise in easy and / 

 graceful gyrations, often to an immense height, j 

 uttering occasionally their shrill and melancholy 

 whistle. At this time, to a spectator underneath, 

 and in particular lights, they appear of immensei 

 size; the motions of the tail when directing the 

 circles may be plainly perceived, as well as the 1 

 beautiful markings on it and on the wings, some- 

 times rendered very plain and distinct by the 



