118 ACCIPITKES. 



labour has on the habits of birds. The young buzzards are 

 said to remain in company with the old ones for a consider- 

 able time after they have left the nest, and are able to shift 

 for themselves ; whereas most of the other birds of prey soon 

 desert their young, and many drive them away. In conse- 

 quence of this social habit, the buzzard can be tamed, and, in 

 France, it is said to have been trained to bring up chickens. 



THE ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD (Falco 



The rough-legged buzzard is a much smaller bird than the 

 common one, lighter in the colours, and with the tarsi 

 feathered down to the toes. It inhabits the pine forests of 

 the north of Europe, and preys chiefly upon small quadru- 

 peds and reptiles. It rarely visits Britain, and then only the 

 eastern parts of the country, to which it appears to be driven 

 by the winds, in the course of its continental migrations. It 

 has not been noticed in Scotland, the coast of that part of 

 the island being so far west, as to be out of the line of its 

 passage.* 



THE HONEY BUZZARD (FalcO O/pWOTUs). 



seems also to be a mere straggling visitant ; comes only in 

 the summer, and is found (when found at all) in the southern 

 parts of the island. Its native habitat appears to be chiefly 

 in the eastern parts of the continent, where there are thick 

 and extensive forests, interspersed with pools and streams of 

 water, and abounding with the larger insects. It is more 

 handsome than the common buzzard, with the wings rather 



* In the winter of 1815, Northumberland was visited by some of these 

 birds, and both living and dead specimens came under the observation of 

 Mr. Selby. Sir W. Jardine, in his edition of Wilson's American Orni- 

 thology, mentions several that have been killed in East Lothian and other 

 southern districts of Scotland. Mr. Selby states that a fine specimen, 

 shot near Alnwick in March 1828, was sent to him. Scarcely a year 

 passes without the appearance of this bird upon the rabbit-warrens in 

 Norfolk. M. 



