24 BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR EGGS AND NESTS. 



19. ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD (Bnteo Jctf/opus). 



Not to say a rare bird, but still, by no means a common bird 

 in any division of the kingdom. - 



20. HONEY BUZZARD (Pernis apivorus). 



This never was an abundant species in this country, and 

 instances of its nesting with us are very rare. I well remember, 

 however, when White's " Natural History of Selborne " first 

 fell into my boyish hands, how his history of the lucky bird's- 

 nesting boy, who climbed the " tall, slender Birch-tree," " on the 

 steep and dizzy situation, near the middle of Selborne Hanger," 

 and brought down the only egg in the nest, and that " lia:d set," 

 impressed itself on my attention and memory. The nest was a 

 shallow one, composed of sticks, and lined with dead leaves 

 ot the beech. The number of e ( ags an illustration of which is 

 given seldom exceeds two. Fig. 3, platelll 



21. MARSH HARRIER (Circus rufus). 



Moor Buzzard, Bald Buzzard, Marsh Hawk, Harpy, White- 

 headed Harpy, Puttock, Duck-Hawk. One would hardly expect 

 to find that a bird, with such a string of aliases to its name, 

 could enjoy a very wholesome reputation. However, he's no 

 worse than his fellows of the Hawk family, and not so bad as 

 some of them. P'obably the name of Harrier given to tins and 

 one or two of the Hawks next named, is derived from their 

 method of beating or quartering the ground, when in search 

 of prey, putting one in mind of the evolutions of the hound 

 similarly engaged. The Marsh Harrier or Moor Buzzard (or 

 Bald Buzzard, as 1 used to hear it called in Essex) builds its nest 

 of flags or rushes sometimes sticks or twigs on the ground, 

 amid the grass at the bottom of a furze or other bush; occa- 

 sionally low in the bush itself; and again, in a tuft of reeds or 

 rushes sufficient to serve the purposes of concealment. In it 

 it deposits three or four eggs, white, or with only a tinge of 

 milk blue about them. It feeds itself and its young with 

 young water-birds, if it can meet with them and its name 

 suggests the idea that young water-birds may be met with 

 where itself is found or young rabbits or birds; a few mice and 

 small rats doubtless not coming in as altogether unworthy of 

 notice to such hungry customers as four young " Harpies." 



22. HEN-HARRIER (Circus cyaneus). 



I don't give a list of country or local names here, as usual, 

 because I wish to draw my reader's attention to the fact, that 



