﻿100 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  twigs, 
  upon 
  which 
  are 
  placed 
  dead 
  leaves, 
  tufts 
  of 
  Luzula 
  sylvatica, 
  

   or 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  Scirpus 
  torn 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  roots, 
  or 
  dry 
  stalks 
  and 
  

   fronds 
  of 
  the 
  brake-fern. 
  A 
  well-known 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  

   Buzzard 
  is 
  its 
  habit 
  of 
  decking 
  the 
  nest 
  with 
  fresh-pulled 
  leafy 
  

   twigs, 
  often 
  of 
  the 
  birch 
  or 
  rowan. 
  These 
  are 
  renewed 
  from 
  

   time 
  to 
  time 
  as 
  the 
  young 
  grow. 
  A 
  nest 
  examined 
  last 
  April 
  

   was 
  most 
  artistically 
  finished 
  with 
  a 
  lining 
  of 
  fresh 
  green 
  sprays 
  

   of 
  leafing 
  larch, 
  sprigs 
  of 
  Scotch 
  fir, 
  ivy-leaves, 
  and 
  pieces 
  of 
  

   bracken 
  frond. 
  

  

  The 
  Buzzard 
  is 
  never 
  seen 
  to 
  such 
  advantage 
  as 
  when 
  dis- 
  

   turbed 
  by 
  our 
  intrusion 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  its 
  nest. 
  Its 
  

   flight 
  then 
  becomes 
  more 
  active 
  and 
  graceful, 
  its 
  whole 
  bearing 
  

   more 
  animated. 
  Probably 
  the 
  male 
  bird 
  is 
  first 
  seen 
  soaring 
  

   above 
  the 
  rocks, 
  wheeling 
  round 
  with 
  angry 
  gestures 
  and 
  in- 
  

   dignant 
  mewing 
  cry. 
  Suddenly 
  he 
  swoops 
  and 
  skims 
  at 
  full 
  

   speed 
  past 
  the 
  crag 
  where 
  the 
  nest 
  is 
  situated. 
  Leaving 
  her 
  

   eggs, 
  the 
  hen 
  bird 
  joins 
  him, 
  and 
  as 
  we 
  climb 
  both 
  circle 
  over- 
  

   head, 
  mewing 
  piercingly 
  and 
  persistently. 
  There 
  are 
  well- 
  

   recorded 
  instances 
  where 
  something 
  very 
  nearly 
  resembling 
  an 
  

   attack 
  has 
  been 
  made, 
  but 
  nothing 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  has 
  ever 
  occurred 
  

   within 
  the 
  writer's 
  personal 
  experience. 
  Sometimes 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  

   of 
  a 
  pair 
  one 
  may 
  note 
  a 
  considerable 
  difference 
  in 
  plumage, 
  one 
  

   having 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  breast 
  dark, 
  while 
  the 
  other 
  is 
  largely 
  

   ash 
  -coloured. 
  

  

  If 
  incubating, 
  the 
  hen 
  bird 
  sits 
  close, 
  and 
  leaves 
  her 
  eggs 
  with 
  

   reluctance. 
  A 
  friend 
  writes 
  of 
  his 
  first 
  Buzzard's 
  nest 
  : 
  " 
  It 
  

   was 
  not 
  till 
  I 
  got 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  cliff 
  and 
  saw 
  her 
  sitting 
  on 
  her 
  

   eggs 
  within 
  twenty 
  yards 
  of 
  me 
  that 
  she 
  deigned 
  to 
  fly 
  off." 
  Mr. 
  

   Grubb 
  knew 
  of 
  a 
  nest 
  situated 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  cliff. 
  

   He 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Approaching 
  from 
  behind, 
  I 
  looked 
  over 
  the 
  edge, 
  

   and 
  found 
  the 
  old 
  bird 
  within 
  about 
  two 
  feet 
  of 
  my 
  face. 
  She 
  

   was 
  evidently 
  a 
  little 
  uneasy, 
  and 
  was 
  standing 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  nest, 
  

   peering 
  over 
  the 
  edge. 
  When 
  she 
  caught 
  sight 
  of 
  me 
  there 
  was 
  

   a 
  fine 
  commotion 
  ! 
  " 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  Raven 
  and 
  Buzzard 
  are 
  nesting 
  in 
  close 
  proximity 
  

   they 
  appear 
  to 
  spend 
  half 
  their 
  time 
  in 
  harmless 
  skirmishing. 
  

   The 
  cock 
  Raven 
  makes 
  angry 
  sallies 
  to 
  drive 
  off 
  the 
  Buzzards 
  

   whenever 
  they 
  approach 
  his 
  domain. 
  The 
  Buzzard, 
  rising 
  

   lightly, 
  swerves 
  to 
  avoid 
  the 
  downward 
  rush 
  of 
  his 
  sable 
  foe. 
  

  

  