BUZZARD. 35 



The Buzzard builds both in trees, and in clefts, fissures, 

 or ledges of mountains and cliffs, and if the latter are chosen, 

 in the most secure and difficult situations. One in particular 

 I remember in a most admirable recess, out of all possible 

 reach except by being lowered down to it by a rope. The 

 nest is built of large and small sticks, and is lined, though 

 sparingly, with wool, moss, hair, or some other soft substance. 

 Not unfrequently, to save the trouble of building a nest of 

 its own, it will appropriate to itself, and repair sufficiently 

 for its purpose, an old and forsaken one of some other bird, 

 such as a Jackdaw, a Crow, or a Raven, and will also 

 occasionally return to its own of the preceding year. 



The eggs are two, three, or four in number, generally the 

 former, and rather incline to a rotundity of form. They are 

 of a dull greenish or bluish white, streaked and blotted, more 

 especially at the thicker end, with yellowish or pale brown. 

 Sometimes they are perfectly white. Occasionally their markings 

 are extremely elegant in the eye of a connoisseur. I may 

 here mention that I strongly suspect that many colourings of 

 different eggs are adventitious, and not intrinsic. 



Mr. Hewitson, in his very much to be praised 'Coloured 

 Illustrations of the Eggs of British Birds,' writes, 'Mr. E. 11. 

 "Wingate had the eggs of the Common Buzzard brought to him 

 from the same place for several successive years no doubt the 

 produce of the same bird. The first year they were white, or 

 nearly so; the second year marked with indistinct yellowish 

 brown, and increasing each year in the intensity of their 

 colouring, till the spots became of a rich dark brown.' 



The Buzzard is one of those birds which either happily or 

 unhappily, as different naturalists may choose to consider it, 

 varies very much in plumage scarcely any two individuals 

 being alike. The feathers also fade and wear much before 

 moulting the only permanent markings are the bars on the 

 tail. It is the upper part which varies most in depth of 

 tint, the general colour being brown, more or less deep or 

 dull. In the darker specimens a purple hue is apparent. The 

 feathers are darker in the centre, and lighter at the edges; 

 the margin being sometimes of a pale brown, or reddish yellow. 

 Bewick says that some specimens are entirely white, and others 

 are recorded as nearly so. The males appear to be lighter in 

 colour than the females. Generally they are, however, dark 

 brown, though in sjrne cases white prevails; the feathers being 

 spotted in the centre with brown. Weight, from thirty to 



