86 FALCONID A. 
point ; the cere yellow, the irides generally yellow: but 
as the Common Buzzard, and indeed all the Buzzards, are 
subject to considerable variation in the colour of their plum- 
age, the irides are observed to vary also, presenting some 
reference to the prevailing tone of the colour of the feathers. 
The upper part of the head, occiput, and cheeks, pale brown, 
streaked longitudinally with darker brown; the whole of 
the back, wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts, and upper surface 
of the tail-feathers, dark clove brown, the latter barred with 
lighter brown, the feathers of the former named parts having 
lighter-coloured edges ; the wing-primaries brownish black ; 
the chin and throat almost white ; front of the neck, breast, 
under wing-coverts, belly, and thighs, greyish white, spotted 
and streaked with brocoli brown ; under tail-coverts white; 
under surface of the tail-feathers greyish white, barred 
transversely with dark wood brown; legs and toes yellow ; 
the claws black. é 
The vignette below, is from a sketch of the Buzzard, 
taken in the garden referred to at page 84. 
