PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 115 



incubation (Saunders), and the period is variously estimated at 28 days or 31 days. 

 Though the nest is often repaired about mid-March, the first eggs are rarely found 

 in Wales before the middle of April, and often not until a week or so later. In 

 South Spain, however, full clutches have been found as early as mid-March. 

 Only one brood is reared during the season. [F. c. R. J.] 



5. Food. Mice, rats, moles, half-grown rabbits, lizards, snakes, frogs, 

 beetles, carrion, and worms. The young are fed by both parents on mice, moles, 

 reptiles, [w. p. p.] 



ROUGHLEGGED-BUZZARD [Buteo lagopus (Briinnich); Buteo 

 lagopus (Gmelin). French, buse pattue ; German, Rauchfussbussard ; 

 Italian, pojana calzata]. 



1. Description. The roughlegged-buzzard may at once be distinguished 

 from the common buzzard by the fact that the legs are feathered to the toes, 

 and the broad white base to the tail. The upper parts are of a dark brown, save 

 the head and neck, which are creamy white with dark brown striations ; wing- 

 coverts and scapulars with white bases, and buff margins imparting a streaked 

 appearance. Upper tail-coverts and basal half of the tail white, the rest dark 

 brown tipped with white, and a subterminal bar of black. Under parts white, 

 with narrow bars of dark brown on the throat, and broader bars of the same hue 

 on the breast and flanks ; the lower breast and abdomen are brown. The quills 

 have the basal half white, the rest dark brown. The feathers of the legs are fawn- 

 coloured, streaked with brown. Length, male 23 in. [584O mm.], female 26 in. 

 [66OO mm.]. Cere, eyelids, and toes chrome-yellow ; iris hazel. Immature birds 

 are browner than the adults, have longitudinal stripes instead of bars on the under 

 surface, and less white on the tail. Young in down white, [w. p. p.] 



2. Distribution. To the British Isles this species is only an irregular 

 winter visitor, sometimes arriving on our east coasts in great numbers. On the 

 Continent its main breeding grounds are in Scandinavia and North Russia. In 

 Sweden it ranges south to Jemtland, about 65 N. lat., and in Norway is generally 

 distributed north of the Arctic Circle, and occurs more sparingly on the high fjeld 

 south to lat. 59 J. In Finland it is found as far south as Pudasjarvi, and north of 

 these limits ranges to the coasts of the Arctic Ocean. It is said to breed irregularly 

 in the Baltic Provinces, and it has been frequently stated that sporadic instances 

 of breeding have taken place in Germany, but further evidence is very desirable 



