BOUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 39 



of the white at the base of the tail, and, in most specimens, 

 the white on the middle, and the dark brown patch on the 

 lower part of the breast. It has a habit of sitting with its 

 feathers much ruffled and loose, which gives it the appearance 

 of being a larger bird than it really is. 



Several specimens have been obtained in different parts of 

 Ireland, as recorded by William Thompson, Esq., of Belfast, 

 who however, considers it extremely rare there. He mentions 

 one as having been taken alive about the middle of October, 

 in the year 1831, near Dundonald, in the county of Down: 

 the remains of birds, and of a rat, were found in it on dissection. 

 Two others were seen about the same time at Killinchy, in 

 the same county, one of which was shot, but, unfortunately 

 not preserved. Another was shot in the autumn of the year 

 1836, at Castlewellan, in the same county; and another near 

 the end of the year 1837, at Powcrscourt, the seat of the 

 Marquis of Waterford, in the county of Wicklow. Others in 

 the southern and eastern parts of Scotland; and there is now 

 scarce a county in England in which one or more have not 

 been procured almost every year since attention has been directed 

 to its specific distinction from the Common Buzzard, with which 

 species, beyond all question, it was before continually confounded. 



In Yorkshire, a number of specimens were obtained near 

 Sheffield, in the winter of 1839-40. Mr. H. Chapman, of York, 

 has received some for preservation; and others are mentioned 

 by Mr. Denny, as having been shot at Garforth, in the year 

 1833. Two are recorded by Arthur Strickland, Esq.; one of 

 them as having come into his own possession. It had been 

 noticed on the Wolds for some time previously, and its flight 

 was described as having a great resemblance to that of an 

 Owl. Dr. Farrer reports two as having been taken in 1840: 

 one of them shot at Clayton Heights, and the other trapped 

 at Hawkworth Hall. One was shot at Bilham, near Doncaster, 

 now in the possession of the Rev. Godfrey Wright, of that 

 place, and others near Huddersfield, and at Black Hill, then 

 a rabbit warren. For this information I am indebted to 

 Mr. Allis, of Osbaldwick, near York, as well as for voluminous 

 records of the whole of the Yorkshire Birds. To these valuable 

 documents I shall have frequent occasion to refer, but this 

 one acknowledgment of the favour must not be withheld. 



Montagu has recorded the occurrence of a few in his time 

 in the south of England one of them in Kent, picked up 

 dead on the coast, in the winter of 1792, and Selby several 



