80 BRITISH LAND BIRDS. 



not a spot in the blue dome of heaven but itself, 

 is really a very fine one. It appears as if it had 

 charmed the atmosphere to move as it lists, and 

 without any effort. The wings and tail are ex- 

 panded, and yet they appear hardly to move, as 

 the bird ascends and descends, and wheels and 

 turns, now in wide sweeping circles, and anon, 

 dropping down, it turns fairly round on the point 

 of the wing, as a pivot. After it has been beating 

 over one pasture without success, and there is a 

 hill or wood, or any place not adapted to its 

 habits to be passed over, before it can reach its 

 nest, the beauty and easy smoothness with which 

 it gets up, are unrivalled. It climbs eagle's 

 height, without eagle's effort, and from the very 

 top of heaven surveys the land, then shoots away 

 to some distant places better adapted to its pur- 

 pose." 



One of the most common of the larger kind of 

 hawks which inhabit the wooded districts of this 

 country is the BTJZZAED. It feeds on small quad- 

 rupeds and birds, and is of considerable size and 

 strength, but its courage and energy are by no 

 means equal. It is sluggish and inactive, and 

 slow in flight, seemingly preferring to watch from 

 a tree, the accidental approach of s~ome animal, 

 rather than to hunt abroad or game. When 

 pressed by hunger it may be seen soaring in the 



