NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORtfE. 



month of June a bold boy climbed this tree, though standing on so 

 steep and dizzy a situation, and brought down an egg, the only one 

 in the nest, which had been sat on for some time, and contained the 

 embryo of a young bird. The egg was smaller, and not so round 

 as 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 long 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 contained 

 in its craw some limbs of frogs and many grey snails 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. 



One which was captured at Twizel, by Mr. Selby, was discovered by having scratched 

 out the nest of a wasp (Vespa vulgaris), and cleaned the comb of the immature young 

 and grubs. This bird was procured by setting traps around the plundered nest, and upon 

 dissection afterwards no remains of animals or birds were discovered, the contents of the 

 stomach being entirely insects, and chiefly the remains of the contents of the wasp-comb. 

 The vignette at the head of this chapter represents the honey-buzzard in a state of 

 plumage which is sometimes met with ; the head and neck being yellowish white or cream 

 colour. This we think is incidental to the young males. The specimen figured was taken 

 in Northumberland some years since. 



