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on mice, rabbits, frogs, and often on all sorts of carrion, 

 Too idle to build itself a nest, it frequently seizes upon 

 the old habitation of a crow, which it lines afresh with 

 wool and other soft materials. In general this bird, 

 whose colour varies considerably, is brown varied with 

 yellow specks ; at a certain age its head becomes entirely 

 gray. The female generally lays two or three eggs, 

 which are mostly white, though sometimes spotted with 

 yellow. Its length is usually twenty-two inches, and 

 its breadth upwards of fifty. 



The following anecdote, related by Buffon, will show 

 that the Buzzard may be so far tamed as to be rendered 

 a faithful domestic. A Buzzard, which had been caught 

 in a snare, was brought to a gentleman, who undertook 

 to tame it. It was at first wild and ferocious, but by 

 depriving it of food he succeeded in constraining it to 

 come and eat out of his hand. By pursuing this plan 

 he brought it to be very familiar ; and, after having shut 

 it up about six weeks, he began to allow it a little 

 liberty, taking the precaution, however, to tie both 

 pinions of its wings. In this condition it walked out 

 into his garden, and returned when called to be fed ; 

 after some time, thinking he might trust to its fidelity, 

 he removed the ligatures, and fastened a small bell above 

 its talon, and also attached to its breast a bit of copper 

 with his name engraved on it. He then gave it entire 

 liberty, which it soon abused ; for it took wing and flew 

 into the forest of Belesme. The bird was given up for 

 lost; but four hours afterwards, it rushed into the 

 gentleman's hall, pursued by five other Buzzards, which 

 had driven it into its former asylum. After this ad- 

 venture it preserved its fidelity, coming every night 

 to sleep under the window. It soon became familiar, 

 attended constantly at dinner, sat on a corner of the 

 table, and often caressed its master with its head and 

 bill, emitting a weak, sharp cry, which, however, it 

 sometimes softened. It had a singular propensity of 

 seizing from the head and flying away with the red caps 

 of the peasants ; and so alert was it in whipping them 

 off, that they found their heads bare without knowing 

 what was become of their caps ; it even treated the wigs 



