154 Tie Natural History of Selborne 



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 Jong tail. When on the wing this species may be easily distin- 

 guished from the common buzzard by its hawk-like appearance, 

 small head, wings not so blunt, and longer tail. This specimen con- 

 tained 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 yellow 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. 



