58 THE COMMON BUZZARD. 



that I could trust to its fidelity, I removed the ligatures ; and fastened 

 a small bell, an inch and a half in diameter, above its talon, and also 

 attached to its breast a bit of copper, having my name engraved on it 

 I then gave it entire liberty, which it soon abused ; for it took wing, 

 and flew as far as the forest of Belesme. I gave it up for lost ; but 

 four hours afterwards, I saw it rush into my hall, pursued by five 

 other buzzards, which had constrained it to seek again its asylum. 



"After this adventure, it preserved its fidelity to me, coming ever}-* 

 night to sleep on my window. It soon became familiar; attended con- 

 stantly at dinner ; sat on a corner of the table, and often caressed me 

 with its head and bill, emitting a weak, sharp cry, which, however, it 

 sometimes softened. It is true that I alone had this privilege. It one 

 day followed me when I was on horseback, more than two leagues, 

 flying above my head. 



" It had an aversion both to Dogs and Cats ; nor was it in the least 

 afraid of them : it had often tough battles with them, but always came off 

 victorious. I had four strong Cats, which I collected into my garden 

 with my Buzzard. I threw to them a bit of raw flesh : the nimblewt 

 Cat seized it ; the rest pursued, but the Bird darted upon her, bit her 

 ears with his bill, and squeezed her sides with his talons so forcibly, 

 that the Cat was obliged to relinquish, her prize. Often another Cat 

 snatched it the instant it dropped ; but she suffered the same treatment, 

 till the Buzzard got entire possession of the plunder. He was so dex- 

 terous in his defence, that, when he perceived himself assailed at once 

 by the four Cats, he took wing, and uttered a cry of exultation. At 

 last, the Cats, chagrined by their repeated disappointment, would no 

 longer contend with him. 



" This Buzzard had a singular antipathy : he would not suffer a red 

 cap to remain on the head of any of the peasants ; and so alert was he 

 in whipping it off, that they found their heads bare without knowing 

 what was become of their caps. He also snatched away wigs, without 

 doing any injury ; and he carried these caps and wigs to the tallest 

 tree in a neighboring park, which was the ordinary deposit of his 

 booty. 



" He would suffer no other Birds of prey to enter his domain : he 

 attacked them boldly, and put them to flight. He did no mischief in 

 my court-yard ; and the poultry, which at first dreaded him, grew in- 

 sensibly reconciled to him. The Chickens and Ducklings received not 

 the least harsh usage ; and yet he bathed among the latter. But, what 

 is singular, he was not gentle to my neighbors' poultry ; and I was 

 often obliged to publish that I would pay for the damages that he 

 might occasion. However, he was frequently fired at ; and, at different 

 times, received fifteen musket-shots without suffering any fracture. 

 But once, early in the morning, hovering over the skirts of a forest, 

 he dared to attack a Fox ; and the keeper, seeing him on the shoulders 

 of the Fox, fired two shots at him: the Fox was killed, and the 

 Buzzard had his wing broken; notwithstanding this fracture, he 

 escaped from the keeper, and was lost for seven days. This man 

 having discovered, from the noise of the bell, that it was my Bird he 

 had shot, came the next morning to inform me. I sent to search neai 



