Tue ZooLocist—May, 1876. 4921 
legged buzzard, so common a bird in America, than a casual observer can 
be here. It greatly resembles the kestrel in its manner of hawking for 
mice, though soaring at a greater elevation. Its diminutive bill, small feet 
and weak claws unfit it for preying like a falcon. Mr. Gurney seems to 
think that Yarrell erred in saying that the roughlegged buzzard prefers 
marshy districts—how then is it to find the ducks on which it is said to 
prey ?—Henry Hadfield ; Ventnor, Isle of Wight, March 21, 1876. 
_ PS.—A roughlegged buzzard I shot and examined in Canada had mice, 
and mice only, in the stomach, though there were ducks enough—less 
formidable, too, than the mallard—in the neighbouring marshes and islets. 
That frogs and lizards are also preyed on we know, on the authority of 
Wilson.—H. H.; April 5, 1875. 
Roughlegged Buzzard.—The roughlegged buzzards have not all cleared 
out yet from Scotland. So I learn on enquiry among the naturalists at 
Edinburgh. <A brace were killed, but in different places, a week or two 
ago. It is curious how long the relics of a migratory band of birds will 
sometimes remain in the country, spite of the efforts to shoot them.—J. H. 
Gurney, jun. ; Edinburgh. 
Plumage of the Roughlegged Buzzard.—I have not the fourth edition of 
Yarrell at hand to refer to, but I remember an error of transcription in the 
Editor’s description of the plumages of the roughlegged buzzard, which it is 
.rather important that Mr. Sclater should know. ‘The words “ transverse” 
and “longitudinal” are transposed, making it appear that the dark marks 
are transverse in the young bird. Of course it is purely a lapsus calami, 
and the Editor intended to say quite the opposite. I pointed it out to him 
soon after the part came out, and he was much surprised at the slip: I see 
it is corrected in the ‘“‘ Corrigenda.” Now I recommend Mr. Sclater to 
read the description over again, substituting “longitudinal” for “transverse,” 
and Iam much mistaken if he does not then find that his bird is a young 
one. The tibial feathers being streaked make me think so. Besides forty- 
nine out of fifty roughlegged buzzards killed in Hngland are immature. 
I shall be glad to hear what he makes of it.—Jd. 
Occurrence of the Snowy Owl on Darimoor.—On Monday, March 13th, 
during very severe weather, a beautiful snowy owl was shot on Ditsworthy 
Rabbit Warren, Dartmoor, strange to say by the warrener’s grandson, a 
little boy only eight years of age (though, I understand, a capital shot), 
who, being at home from school for a birthday holiday, and amusing himself 
with a gun, happened to see the owl pounce on a rabbit, which it struck 
dead in an instant. He then crept cautiously up behind a burrow, in order 
to get as near as he could, when the bird, either hearing or seeing him, 
immediately rose, leaving its prey behind, and flying directly over the boy’s 
head, was brought down by a shot in the wing. On my asking if the lad 
had not great difficulty in securing his prize, I was told that he could do 
