118 LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD. 
thither in pairs, or families, in August and September. It passes 
the winter partly in the south of Egypt and Dongolah, and more 
frequently in Eastern Sennar, Takah, and on the March, and stretches 
further away in March. Its place of residence varies a good deal — 
cither on bare, isolated rocks, in date forests, in solitary sycamores 
and boubal trees, in uncultivated fields, on sandy islands, and finally in 
villages or ruins when they are near dove-cotes, of which, as well as 
the domestic fowl, it is the most dangerous foe. It is, however, by 
no means a particular feeder, as it may be seen on rocky stones and 
earthy hillocks on the look out for mice. In the steppes it catches 
lizards, on the borders of lakes and morasses frogs, and, according 
to Adanson, snakes. 
If a tract of country looks promising, it chooses a tree standing 
by itself on a rock for its nightly shelter; and to this it repairs at 
sunset, with quiet, regular, but rather long flight, always with a well- 
filled crop. In the forenoon and afternoon it is generally seen 
making playfully a wide circle in the air. If in search of prey its 
flight is low, hasty, and at times very rapid and impetuous. It may 
be ranked among the shyer birds, but it is very easy to shoot when 
at rest. According to Ruppell, as recorded by Cretschmer, it was 
frequent in parts of North Africa, and flew towards evening in flocks 
to the forests, or hid itself in old buildings and rocks. It occurs in 
South Africa, Tripoli, Asia Minor, eastwards towards Nepaul. It 
breeds in the south-east of Europe, and the bordering Asiatic steppes." 
Mr. Gurney says in a private letter: — "This species is sometimes 
of a uniform dark chocolate brown all over. I have seen only two 
such examples, one from India and one from Abyssinia. This is out 
of at least thirty specimens of the bird which I have at different 
times seen; whether this is accidental or a regular plumage I cannot 
tell, but being so rare in proportion to those in the usual dress, I 
am disposed to consider it an accidental variation." 
In India, according to Mr. W. Theobald, as quoted by Hume, the 
Long-legged Buzzard "lays in the first and fourth, weeks of March. 
Eggs two or three. Shape ovate pyriform. Size varies from two 
inches to two inches nineteen lines in length, and one inch sixty-six 
lines in breadth. Colour greenish white, or white, blotched with red 
or claret brown: vary greatly. Nest in large trees; sticks, lined with 
cotton rags and daubed with mud." 
In Palestine Canon Tristram says ("Ibis," 1865): — "We found the 
nest both on trees and on rocks, generally on the latter. The 
complement of eggs is two or three, generally the latter. The first 
nest we took was on Mount Carmel, on a rocky ledge easy of 
