THE BUZZARDS. 267 



on the contrary, they deem it a sure sign of storms and 

 rain. 



Another kind of Kite, a southern bird, the Sorte-bruun 

 Glente, or Black-brown Kite (Falco ater, Linn. ; F. parasi- 

 ticus, Lath.), is found, according to Kjserbolling, in Denmark. 



The Common Buzzard (Orm-Vrdk, or Snake- Vrak, Sw. ; 

 Buteo vulgaris, Will.) ; numerous with us as well as over 

 nearly the whole of Scandinavia. With few exceptions it 

 migrates. 



Though perhaps not generally considered in that light, 

 this bird is in reality very harmless, and probably does more 

 good than otherwise. From the slowness of its flight, it 

 is not very destructive (if at all) to the feathered tribe ; its 

 food consisting, for the most part, of amphibious animals 

 and insects, such as small snakes and lizards, frogs, grass- 

 hoppers, &c. Apparently it is very indolent ; one oftentimes 

 at least sees it perched for hours together on a rock or the 

 top of a tree. 



The female usually makes her nest, greatly resembling that 

 of the goshawk, in an oak or spruce-pine, and lays from two 

 to four eggs. The colour of them varies at times very 

 considerably. Great authorities believe this to be attributable 

 to the bird being more or less aged ; but such cannot always 

 be the case, for only two or three summers ago, we our- 

 selves found three in the same nest, all of which differed 

 widely from each other. One was of a dirty- white, and 

 spotless ; a second more or less marked with brown, in 

 blotches, at the thicker end ; whilst the third was beauti- 

 fully spotted all over with dark brown. 



The Rough-legged Buzzard (Fjosbent Vrak, Sw.; B. La- 

 gopus, Vig.) ; scarce with us, and only seen during spring 



