158 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



my notes upon the whole tribe we are now considering, 

 not from any scientific point of view, but simply from 

 my own personal acquaintance and observation. 



The rough-legged buzzard looks like a small eagle. 

 I am at a loss to understand why some have called 

 these birds ignoble ; he certainly does not look it 

 when he has a rabbit in his claws. The rabbit, by 

 the way, seems to have come to the front with a rush. 

 I can remember the time when you could have your 

 pick of the best at the rate of three for one shilling, 

 and customers were hard to find even at that price. 

 They were looked on as mere vermin. And at that 

 time the two buzzards above named were to be found 

 on the same estate. A kite, too, once located on 

 it, and was shot ; his forked tail brought him into 

 notice. He is a bird of the past as far as England is 

 concerned. At the time of migration, which is per- 

 formed more or less by the whole tribe, a solitary one 

 might be seen, but very rarely. Even in Scotland he 

 is rare, and when trapped or shot his fine tail is 

 eagerly sought for by fly fishers as a most important 

 item in the manufacture of salmon-flies. I have seen 

 them in captivity as pets ; their owner told me he 

 found them gentle birds. They had been sent to 

 him from the continent. 



The harrier comes next. Why he should be 



