COMMON BUZZARD. 85 



Though more rare now than formerly, an enumeration of 

 county localities for a bird so well known will probably be 

 considered unnecessary. According to Mr. Thompson, as 

 stated in his contributions to the Natural History of Ire- 

 land, now in course of publication in the Magazine of 

 Zoology and Botany, this species is of common occurrence 

 in several parts of Ireland. In Scotland the Buzzard is not 

 very plentiful, nor is it included either by the Rev. Mr. 

 Low or Mr. Dunn in their accounts of the Birds of Orkney 

 and Shetland ; yet it inhabits Denmark, Norway, Sweden, 

 and Russia/ It is well known over the wooded parts of the 

 continent of Europe south of Russia, and is abundant in 

 Holland, where, according to M. Temminck, it makes its 

 appearance in autumn and remains till the spring. It in- 

 habits Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and passes over the 

 Mediterranean to North Africa ; but Madeira, Sicily, Crete, 

 Smyrna and Trebizond, appear to be the southern and 

 eastern limits of the range of the Common Buzzard. 



In North America Dr. Richardson observed the Common 

 Buzzard as high as the 57th parallel of latitude, and con- 

 sidered that it went still farther north. This bird visits the 

 fur- countries in the middle of April, and leaves by the end 

 of September. 



The whole length of the Common Buzzard is from twenty 

 to twenty-two inches, depending on the sex, the females, 

 as in the Falconida generally, being the largest. From 

 the habit of seeking food late in the evening observed in 

 this species, and also in the Rough-legged Buzzard next to 

 be described in the softer and more downy texture of the 

 feathers as compared with the plumage of the true Falcons, 

 the Buzzards are considered as indicating an approach to 

 the Owls. 



The beak is bluish black, darkest in colour towards the 



