16 
ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 
PLATE VIII. 
Buber Lagapusy yee Gar tae oe ne 
Falco lagopus, : 5 : 5 : . PENNANT. 
Like the preceding species and other rapacious birds, 
the Rough-legged Buzzard seeks the protection of lofty 
trees or precipitous rocks for the place of its eyrie. 
The nest is composed of sticks, and is slightly lined 
with soft materials, and, as is the case with many other 
kindred birds, the original nest is repaired to, and 
repaired from year to year; a predilection seeming to 
be entertained for the same building-place, for obvious 
reasons. 
The eggs, from three to five in number, vary much 
in colour, some being nearly white; others more or less 
darkened with blots of a grey hue. 
I cannot anywhere better give than here, ‘in limine,’ 
the opinion of H. F. Walter, Esq.,. which he has — 
favoured me with on this subject, namely, that the eggs 
of all rapacious birds of the Hawk tribe have colour, 
and only lose their colour when the bird has laid several 
eggs, the last egg being often white, or nearly so; and 
that young birds generally lay more colourless eggs 
than old birds. 
I may here also mention that there seems reason to 
think that many colourings of various eggs are adven- 
titious, and not intrinsic. Certain it is that they are 
sometimes easily washed off. 
