92 FALCONID^l. 



county localities for a bird so well known will probably be 

 considered unnecessary. According to Mr. Thompson, as 

 stated in his contributions to the Natural History of Ire- 

 land, now in course of publication in the Magazine of 

 Zoology and Botany, this species is of common occurrence 

 in several parts of Ireland. In Scotland the Buzzard is 

 not very plentiful, nor is it included either by the Rev. 

 Mr. Low or Mr. Dunn in their accounts of the Birds of 

 Orkney and Shetland ; yet it inhabits Denmark, Norway, 

 Sweden, and Russia. It is well known over the wooded 

 parts of the continent of Europe south of Russia, and is 

 abundant in Holland, where, according to M. Temminck, 

 it makes its appearance in autumn and remains till the 

 spring. It inhabits Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and passes 

 over the Mediterranean to North Africa; but Madeira, 

 Sicily, Crete, Smyrna, and Trebizond, appear to be the 

 southern and eastern limits of the range of the Common 

 Buzzard. 



In North America Sir John Richardson observed the 

 Common Buzzard as high as the 57th parallel of latitude, 

 and considered that it went still further north. This bird 

 visits the fur-countries in the middle of April, and leaves 

 by the end of September. 



The whole length of the Common Buzzard is from twenty 

 to twenty-three inches, depending on the sex, the females, 

 as in the Falconidcs generally, being the largest ; from the 

 anterior bend of the wing to the end of the longest quill- 

 feather fourteen inches and three eighths. From the 

 habit of seeking food late in the evening observed in this 

 species, and also in the Rough-legged Buzzard next to be 

 described in the softer and more downy texture of the 

 feathers as compared with the plumage of the true Falcons, 

 the Buzzards are considered as indicating an approach to 

 the Owls. 



