96 The Natural History- 



dotted at each end with small red spots, and surrounded 

 in the middle with a broad bloody zone. 



The hen-bird was shot, and answered exactly to Mr. 

 Ray's description of that species ; had a black cere, short 

 thick legs, and a long tail. ^Vhen on the wing this 

 species may be easily distinguished from the common 

 buzzard by its hawk-like appearance, small head, wings 

 not so blunt, and longer tail. This specimen contained 

 in its craw some limbs of frogs, and many grey snails 

 without shells. The irides of the eyes of this bird were 

 of a beautiful bright yellow colour. 



About the tenth of July in the same summer a pair of 

 sparrow-hawks bred in an old crow's nest on a low beech 

 in the same hanger ; and as their brood, which was 

 numerous, began to grow up, became so daring and 

 ravenous, that they were a terror to all the dames in 

 the village that had chickens or ducklings under their 

 care. A boy climbed the tree, and found the young so 

 fledged that ihey all escaped from him : but discovered 

 that a good house had been kept : the larder was well- 

 stored with provisions ; for he brought down a young 

 blackbird, jay, and house martin, all clean picked, and 

 some half devoured. The old birds had been observed 

 to make sad havoc for some days among the new-flown 

 swallows and martins, which, being but lately out of 

 their nests, had not acquired those powers and command 

 of wing that enable them, when more mature, to set 

 such enemies at defiance. 



LETTER XLIV 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE, 



Selborne, Nov. 30, 1780. 

 Dear Sir, 



Every incident that occasions a renewal of our corres- 

 pondence will ever be pleasing and agreeable to me. 

 As to the wild wood -pigeon, the oenas^ or vifuigOy of 



