BUZZARD. RAPTORES. BUTEO. 55 



The birds belonging to this genus are of large size, but 

 generally of a heavy form and indolent aspect. Their plu- 

 mage is soft, downy and loose, approaching in its texture to 

 that of the Owls, which some of the species still further re- 

 semble in their partially crepuscular habits.* Their flight is 

 easy and buoyant, but not remarkable for swiftness, and is 

 generally in extensive circles. They prey upon the smaller 

 birds and animals, as well as reptiles, for which they either 

 watch, in sailing through the air, or (as is often the case) 

 from some old tree or eminence, upon which they will re- 

 main perched for hours together. They strike their prey 

 upon the ground, as they sweep over it, but make no attempt 

 to capture it, when in motion, by active pursuit. In some 

 species a close affinity to the Goshawk is perceptible, the 

 proportion of the wings and form of the bill becoming more 

 assimilated to those birds. 



COMMON BUZZARD. 



BUTEO VULGARLY, Bechst. 

 PLATE VI. 



Buteo vulgaris, Flem. Brit. Anim. 1. 54. No. 21 Shaw's ZooL 13. 46 



Faun. Amer. Boreal. 2. 47. pi. 27. 

 Falco Buteo, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 127- Fauna Suec. No. 60. Gmel. Syst. 1. 



p. 265. sp. 15 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 1. p. 23. -Ran, Syn. p. 16. A. 1 



Witt. p. 38. t. 6. i Muller, No. G4.Briss. 1. p. 406. 

 Falco communis fuscus, Gmel. Syst. p. 270. sp. 86. 



Falco variegatus, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 267. sp. 78 Ind. Ornith. 1. p. 24. 48. 

 Falco absolitus? Lath. Ind. Ornith. 1. 28. sp. 61. 

 La Buse, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 1. p. 63. Buff. Ois. 1. p. 206. t. 8 Id. 



PL Enl. 419. 



Mause Falk, Meyer, Viig. Deut. Heft. 14 Frisch, Vog. Deut. t. 74. 

 Falco albidus, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 267. sp. 49. white variety. 

 Common Buzzard, Br. ZooL 1. No. 54. t. 25. Ib. fol. t A. 3 Arct. Zool. 



p. 224. I Will. (Ang.) p. 70. Lath, Syn. 1. p. 48 Id. Sup. p. 14 



* WILSON, when speaking of the Buteo lagopus, observes, " they are 

 often seen coursing over the surface of the meadows, long after sunset, 

 many times in pairs." See WILS. Amer. Orn. ed. Sir W. Jardine, vol. ii. 

 p. 54. 



