THE JbUZZARD. 



Habits, &c. 



the peasants ; and so alert was he in whipping it 

 off, that they found their heads bare without 

 knowing what was become of their caps. He 

 also snatched wigs, without doing any injury; 

 and he carried these caps and wigs to the tallest 

 tree in a neighbouring park, which was the ordi- 

 nary deposit of his booty. 



" He would suffer no other bird of prey to 

 enter his domain; but attacked them very boldly, 

 and put them to flight. He did no mischief in 

 my court-yard; and the poultry, which at first 

 dreaded him, grew insensibly reconciled to him. 

 The chickens and ducklings received not the 

 least harsh usage; and yet he bathed among the 

 latter. But, what is singular, he was not gentle. 

 to my neighbours' poultry: and I was often 

 obliged to publish that I would pay for the da-* 

 mages he might occasion, However, he waj 

 frequently fired at; and at different times, re* 

 ceived fifteen musket-shots without suffering any 

 fracture. But once, early in the morning, ho* 

 vering over the skirts of a forest, he dared to at- 

 tack a fox; and the keeper, seeing him on the 

 shoulders of the animal, fired two shots at him: 

 the fox was killed, and the buzzard had his wing 

 broken; yet, notwithstanding this fracture, he 

 escaped from the keeper, and was lost seven 

 days. This man having discovered, from the 

 noise of the bell, that he was my bird, cairie next 

 morning to inform me. 1 sent to make search 

 near the spot; but the bird could not be foiindj 



VOL. 111. NO. XVU. K 



