THE BUZZARD 345 



The Buzzard may still be seen circling high in the air 

 in some of our own wilder wooded districts, uttering its 

 mewing cry, especially in Wales, but it is fast 

 decreasing. A correspondent from South Devon wrote 

 me that it was not infrequently shot there. As Mr. 

 Howard Saunders wrote, " It used to breed in Norfolk 

 and other counties abounding with Partridges and 

 ground game, without being considered incompatible 

 with their w r ell-being ; but now that Pheasant worship 

 ha's increased, the doom of that great devourer of field 

 mice, moles, and other pests of the farmer which has 

 never been proved to be destructive to Partridges and 

 Pheasants is sealed. Still it might yet increase if fairly 

 encouraged, and it is an interesting sight, either soaring 

 over head or resting in its characteristic sluggish way 

 on the branch of a tree. In the New Forest this used 

 to be a common enough sight, but the bark strippers 

 being at work just at the time of incubation, and 

 knowing that they can easily obtain five shillings for a 

 good well-marked specimen the Buzzard has little 

 chance now. 



I find in my note book, " My glass shows a great 

 brown and grey bird resting on a stumpy willow what 

 they call here a Mouse-Buzzard that species so useful 

 to the grazier, which we drive away by persecution. 

 Presently it rises high to soar in fine circles over its 

 hunting ground. The farmers encourage it because of 

 its wonderful stowage capacity for voles, rats, and other 

 small deer, the game-preservers persecute it, because 

 when pressed by hunger it takes old hen pheasants and 

 even larger creatures. On our friend's estate here it is 

 encouraged; the stomach of a dead Buzzard has been 

 found to contain thirty mice. Also it is a deadly foe to 



