210 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



that tribe, the buzzards, of which there are three 

 varieties in Britain, are wanting in the finer 

 qualities which are so markedly characteristic of 

 the falcon and hawks. They are, compared with 

 these, lazy, non-aggressive birds, doing no harm, 

 despite the assertions of some naturalists to the 

 contrary, and feeding on mice, frogs, anything 

 which they can procure without much exertion, 

 and, it is asserted, by no means averse to carrion 

 if it comes in their way. The three kinds of 

 British buzzards are : 



The common buzzard, 20 to 23 inches in 



length. 

 The rough-legged buzzard, 23 to 26 inches 



in length. 

 The honey buzzard, 22 to 25 inches in length. 



The common buzzard, though resident, is but 

 scarce nowadays. As regards the plumage of 

 this bird, Colonel Irby (whose measurements I 

 have given in preference to other authorities) 

 states that it varies so much as to defy descrip- 

 tion. The legs and toes are short, and bare of 

 feathers, the former being only about three inches 

 in length, very old birds being sometimes of a 

 very dark bluish-black above, and with only a 

 few light markings on the breast, the tail of the 

 adult bird being brown, barred with twelve or 

 thirteen bands of darker brown. 



The rough-legged buzzard is a winter visitor 

 to Britain, and it has never bred in this country.. 



