86 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



but a new survey, no doubt, should represent every seat and castle 

 remarkable for any great event, or celebrated for its paintings, &c. 

 Lord Breadalbane's seat and beautiful policy are too curious and extra- 

 ordinary to be omitted; 



The seat of the Earl of Eglintoun, near Glasgow, is worthy of notice. 

 The pine plantations of that nobleman are very grand and extensive 

 indeed. I am, &c. 



LETTEE XLIII. 



TO THE SAME. 



A PAIR of honey buzzards, Buteo opivorus, sive Vespivorus Rail, built 

 them a large shallow nest, composed of twigs and lined with dead 

 beechen leaves, upon a tall slender beech near the middle of Selborne 

 Hanger, in the summer of 1780.* In the middle of the month of 

 June a bold boy climbed this tree, though standing on so steep and 

 dizzy a situation, and brought down an egg, the only one in the nest, 

 which had been sat on for some time, and contained the embryo of a 

 young bird. The egg was smaller, and not so round as those of the 

 common buzzard ; was dotted at each end with small red spots, and 

 surrounded in the middle with a broad bloody zone. 



The hen-bird was shot, and answered exactly to Mr. Bay's description 

 of that species ; had a black cere, short thick legs, and a long tail. 

 When on the wing this species may be easily distinguished from the 

 common buzzard by its hawk-like appearance, small head, wings not so 

 blunt, and longer tail. This specimen contained in its craw some 

 limbs of frogs and many grey snails without shells. The irides of the 

 eyes of this bird were of a beautiful bright yellow colour. 



About the tenth of July in the same summer a pair of sparrow- 

 hawks bred in an old crow's nest on a low beech in the same hanger ; 

 and as their brood, which was numerous, began to grow up, became so 

 daring and ravenous, that they were a terror to all the dames in the 

 village that had chickens or ducklings under their care. A boy 

 climbed the tree, and found the young so fledged that they all escaped 

 from him ; but discovered that a good house had been kept : the larder 

 was well-stored with provisions; for he brought down a young black- 



* The honey-buzzard is a rare bird in Great Britain, and extends chiefly along 

 the east coast to the south of Scotland, where we have known a few specimens to 

 have been killed ; its manner of breeding and habits during that time have not again 

 been observed. With the exception of what is stated above by Mr. White all the 

 observations that have been made upon their food have tended to show that it was 

 almost entirely insectivorous. One which was captured at Twizel, by Mr. Selby, was 

 discovered by having scratched out the nest of a wasp ( Vespa vulgaris), and cleaned 

 the comb of the immature young and grubs. This bird was procured by setting 

 traps around the plundered nest, and upon dissection afterwards no remains of 

 animals or birds were discovered, the contents of the stomach being entirely 

 insects, and chiefly the remains of the contents of the wasp-comb. The vignette 

 at the head of this chapter represents the honey-buzzard in a state of plumage 

 which is sometimes met with ; the head and neck being yellowish white or cream 

 colour. This we think is incidental to the young males. The specimen figured 

 was taken, in Northumberland some years since. 



