244 CLASS AVES. 



descending near the earth, it sees any one approach, it rises 

 promptly, tracing spiral figures in its flight, and is soon out of 

 reach. Grasshoppers appear to be its only nourishment. 



The birds known under the denomination of Buzzards 

 have all the general characters of the accipitres. Like the 

 falcons their wings are almost as long as, and even in some in- 

 stances exceed the tail ; but they differ from these, in having 

 the first quill-feather very short, and the third or fourth the 

 longest. 



There is also a secondary character in the buzzards, con- 

 sisting in the relative length of the tarsi. The true buzzards 

 have them thick and short, — in those called busards by 

 Cuvier, and a division which may be called sub-buzzards, the 

 tarsi are long and slender. The first also have the head 

 broader, the neck shorter, and the body more clumsy than the 

 second, whose shape is generally finer and more elegant. In 

 all, the female is larger than the male. 



The buzzards, as well as the kites, are in general regarded 

 as cowardly birds, and are also considered as the emblem of 

 folly. But this notion, though apparently justified by facts, 

 seems a little exaggerated. Nature, to preserve the species, 

 has given to each being the consciousness of its strength and 

 resources, and we are always exposed to the danger of false 

 judgments, when we decide on results without carefully investi- 

 gating causes. We have above made some observations on 

 this subject relatively to the kites, and shown that the weak- 

 ness of the talons is the principal reason of cowardice in those 

 birds. The buzzard, though better organized in this respect, 

 still appears to be equally devoid of courage ; but its sight is 

 so extremely delicate, that open day-light dazzles it, and this 

 circumstance naturally explains its habits, which could not be 

 different without ceasing to be in accordance with its organiza- 

 tion. If, then, the buzzard prefers ambush to open war, and 

 has the patience to wait for entire hours for his prey among 

 the branches, on which he pounces in its passage, it is because 



