88 FALCONID A. 
the toes. In its habits and powers, however, it resembles 
the Common Buzzard ; and, like that bird, it occasionally 
exhibits some deviation in the colour of the plumage from 
that which may be considered characteristic of the species. 
The Rough-legged Buzzard is much the more rare bird of 
the two; and although it has now been killed once or 
oftener in almost every county in England, it has rarely 
been known to breed here, and is usually obtained in the 
spring or autumn, when changing its latitude from south to 
north, or vice versd. 
The Rough-legged Buzzard appears from various autho- 
rities to prefer marshy districts; and Mr. Selby has re- 
corded his own personal observation of the habits of two 
birds of this species. ‘‘ Their flight was smooth, but slow, 
and not unlike that of the Common Buzzard; and they 
seldom continued for any length of time on the wing.” 
They preyed upon rabbits, mice, wild ducks, other birds, 
and some reptiles, as lizards and frogs. 
Mr. Williamson, in his remarks on the appearance of 
rare birds in the vicinity of Scarborough, says that “the 
Rough-legged Buzzard breeds occasionally in a precipitous 
dell near Hackness. A marked female returned the fol- 
lowmg year with a new mate to her former favourite 
haunt.” 
According to M. Temminck, this bird generally builds 
on high trees, and lays three or four eggs. A coloured 
figure of the egg will be found in the first part of Dr. 
Thieneman’s work on the Eggs of the Birds of Europe, 
tab. i. fig. 2: this representation is two inches two lines 
in length, by one inch eight lines in breadth, of a pale 
brownish white, blotched over the larger end with darker 
brown. Mr. Thompson of Belfast, in his contribution to 
the Natural History of Ireland, published in the Magazine 
