156 The Natural History of Se I borne 



embryo of a young bird. The egg was smaller, and not so 

 round as those of the common buzzard ; was dotted at each 

 end with small red spots, and surrounded in the middle with 

 a broad bloody zone. 



The hen-bird was shot, and answered exactly to Mr. Ray's 

 description of that species; had a black cere, short thick 

 legs, and a long tail. When on the wing this species may 

 be easily distinguished from the common buzzard by its 

 hawk-like appearance, small head, wings not so blunt, and 

 longer tail. This specimen contained in its craw some limbs 

 of frogs and many grey snails [slugs] without shells. The 

 irides of the eyes of this bird were of a beautiful bright yel- 

 low colour. 



About the tenth of July in the same summer a pair of 

 sparrow-hawks bred in an old crow's nest on a low beech 

 in the same hanger ; and as their brood, which was numerous, 

 began to grow up, became so daring and ravenous, that they 

 were a terror to all the dames in the village that had chickens 

 or ducklings under their care. A boy climbed the tree, and 

 found the young so fledged that they all escaped from him; 

 but discovered that a good house had been kept : the larder 

 was well stored with provisions ; for he brought down a 

 young blackbird, jay, and house-martin, all clean picked, and 

 some half devoured. The old birds had been observed to 

 make sad havoc for some days among the new-flown swallows 

 and martins, which, being but lately out of their nests, had 

 not acquired those powers and command of wing that enable 

 them, when more mature, to set such enemies at defiance. 



