510 BUTEO 



the base ; cere and legs yellow, the tarsus bare or sometimes partly 

 feathered in front ; iris brown. Culmen 1'3, wing 14*8, tail 8'8, tarsus 

 3'1 inch. Female similar but somewhat larger. This species is subject to 

 extreme variety, from nearly white to almost uniform blackish brown, and 

 the feathering on the tarsus is also extremely variable, but is oftener seen 

 on eastern specimens. 



Hob. Europe generally, north as far as Trondhjem and 

 Kajana ; British Islands ; Madeira, Canary, and Cape Verde 

 Islands ; rare in N. Africa ; Asia as far east as Japan, India 

 and Ceylon in winter. 



Is a migrant in the northern portion of its range, but as 

 a rule a resident in the southern part. It is somewhat 

 heavy and lazy, seldom attacking any but jxmng, weakly, or 

 small birds, or mammals, its food consisting chiefly of small 

 rodents, reptiles, large insects, larvae, and even carrion. It 

 may often be seen at a considerable altitude, circling on the 

 wing with ease, and uttering its clear, loud, mewing cry. It 

 frequents both the woodland and the open heaths and rocky 

 localities. It is a somewhat early breeder and nests either in 

 the rocks or on non-evergreen trees, sometimes high up and at 

 others at no great altitude. The nest is constructed of boughs 

 and twigs, lined with grass, wool, moss, and even a few feathers, 

 or sometimes a deserted crow's nest is repaired and utilized. 

 The eggs, 2 to 4 in number, are deposited from late in March 

 to May and are bluish white, sometimes almost unmarked but 

 generally tolerably well marked and blotched with violet-grey,, 

 or rarely pale brown shell-markings and reddish brown surface- 

 spots, roundish in shape, and measure about 2*21 by 1*81. 



722. SUBSP. BUTEO ZIMMERMANN^E. 



Buteo zimmermannce, Ehmcke, Ber. Febr. Sitz. Allg. Deutsche Orn. 

 Gesellsch. No. 2 (1893) ; Kleinschmidt, Orn. Monatsschr. 1898 r 

 p. 214, Taf. x. 



$ ad. (Type). Differs from the adult of B. vnlgar'is in being smaller,, 

 and very rufous in tone of colour, and from that of B. desertorum 

 in having the abdomen and under tail-coverts white, distinctly barred with 

 rufous, the tail also being distinctly barred. (Bill damaged), wing 14*32, 

 tail 8'25, tarsus 2*90 inch. The young birds of B. vulgaris, B, desertorum r 

 and of the present subspecies are much alike. 



Hob. Eastern Germany and North Russia as far north as. 

 Archangel. 



In habits it does not appear to differ from B. mdgaris. 



