ACCIPITRES. BIRDS. FALCONID.E. 



245 



is sometimes built on the ground, but more commonly 

 in trees or on the ledges of rocks. It is rather large, 

 and consists of sticks, sometimes lined with a few hairs 

 and feathers ; in this it lays five or six eggs, which are 

 pointed at one end, and spotted with red on a reddish- 

 brown ground. 



THE CHIMANCK) (Milvago Chimango\ which has 

 been already mentioned as accompanying the caracara 

 in its carrion-feasts, is said by Mr. Darwin to be gen- 

 erally the last bird that leaves the skeleton of a dead 

 animal ; it " may often," he adds, " be seen within the 

 ribs of a cow or horse, like a bird in a cage." Like the 

 caracara, its appetite appears to be satisfied with any- 

 thing, as it will even eat bread when this is thrown out 

 of a house with other offal. It also frequents the sea- 

 coast and the margins of lakes and swamps, in search 

 of small fish. In its general habits it resembles the 

 caracara. 



THE CHIMACHIMA (M. C/rimachima), another species, 

 is said to attack beasts of burden upon which it per- 

 ceives wounds or sores ; these it tears with its bill, until 

 the unfortunate victim is forced to roll himself upon the 

 ground to get rid of his tormentor. 



THE SOUTHERN CARACARA (Mifoago australis), 

 appears to be peculiar to the coasts of the southern 

 extremity of America and the Falkland Islands, where 

 it is exceedingly abundant. Its habits are very similar 

 to those of the caracara, but it appears to exceed even 

 that bird in impudence. It will seize upon birds shot 

 by the fowler, and on one occasion recorded by Mr. 



Darwin, one of these birds actually pounced upon a dog 

 that was lying asleep close to his master. When a 

 hunting party has killed an animal, these caracaras 

 soon collect in the neighbourhood, and stand on the 

 ground waiting for their share of the spoil. Sometimes 

 they are said to stand, several in company, at the mouth 

 of a rabbit-hole, in order to seize on the animal as soon 

 as it comes out. These various methods of obtaining 

 food indicate considerable ingenuity, and the birds 

 appear to be of an exceedingly inquisitive disposition, 

 which often leads them into mischief. They are also 

 arrant thieves. When the Adventure was lying in 

 harbour at the Falklands during the winter, they would 

 fly on board every day, and it was necessary to keep a 

 sharp look-out to prevent them from tearing the leather 

 from the rigging, and stealing the fresh meat and game 

 hung up at the stern. On one occasion they carried a 

 heavy black glazed hat nearly a mile ; on another they 

 went off with a pair of heavy balls, used in the south- 

 ern parts of America for catching cattle ; and a small 

 compass in a red morocco case was so tempting a prize 

 that they carried it off, and it was never again found. 

 They are exceedingly quarrelsome, and when irritated 

 fall into such a passion that they tear up the grass with 

 their bills. Their flesh is said by the sealers who have 

 tried it to be very white, and good eating. They build 

 their nests on the rocks only in the small islets of the 

 Falkland group, which, as Mr. Darwin remarks, " is a 

 singular precaution in so tame and fearless a bird." 



BUZZARDS. 



THE COMMON BUZZARD (Buteo vulfjaris) is a com- 

 mon British hawk, which is also met with in most parts 

 of Europe. It measures about twenty inches in length ; 

 the plumage of the upper parts, the neck and breast, 

 are of a dark-brown colour ; the throat and belly are 

 greyish-brown, spotted with dark-brown ; the tail pale 

 greyish-brown, with ten or twelve dark brown transverse 

 bars ; the beak lead colour ; and the cere and legs yellow. 

 The beak in the Buzzard is short and stout, compressed 

 on the sides, and has the margins of the upper mandi- 

 ble sinuated ; the nostrils are large ; the wings long, 

 but obtuse ; the tail of moderate length and rounded ; 

 the tarsi rather long and stout, covered with scales in 

 front, as are also the toes ; the remainder of the foot is 

 reticulated, and the claws are long, strong, and acute. 

 The common buzzard is generally distributed in the 

 British islands, and also occurs abundantly in most 

 parts of Europe. In some localities it is called the 

 Kite or Glead, although quite distinct from the bird to 

 which these names properly belong; and in other places 

 it bears the name of the Puttock. It is rather an inactive 

 bird, but often soars to a great height, and sails in 

 circles like an eagle. AVhen in pursuit of prey it glides 

 over the fields, at no great distance from the ground, 

 and pounces down upon any articles of food that come 

 within its ken. Its food consists of small birds and the 

 young of the grouse and partridge, the smaller quadru- 

 peds, reptiles, insects, and even earthworms all of 



which it captures in the way above described, very 

 rarely pursuing its feathered prey when on the wing. 

 Mr. M'Gillivray states that he once found the stomach 

 of a buzzard filled " with leaves of plants and roots, 

 along with beetles and an earthworm." After feeding 

 it retires to some secluded spot, and there reposes until 

 the food is digested, and its returning appetite again 

 suggests to it the necessity of exertion. The nest of 

 the common buzzard is composed of sticks and twigs, 

 mixed with heath, and lined with wool and grass. Its 

 position varies according to the nature of the country 

 inhabited by the birds ; in rocky districts it is built on 

 the ledges of the rocks, and in the more undulating and 

 wooded localities amongst the branches of trees ; but 

 the material and construction of the nest are the same 

 in both cases. These birds are said to save themselves 

 part of the trouble of building by taking possession of 

 the nest of a crow and enlarging it to suit their purposes. 

 In these nests the females deposit from three to four 

 eggs, which are of an almost perfectly oval form, and 

 of a dull, or slightly bluish white colour, sometimes 

 nearly spotless, but usually spotted with rusty brown. 

 Buzzards are said to attend to the wants of their 

 young for a longer period than most predaceous birds ; 

 and they certainly seem to possess very strong paren- 

 tal instincts. In captivity female buzzards have been 

 repeatedly known to hatch the eggs, and bring up the 

 young of other birds : and the following curious example 



