﻿386 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  angry 
  mewing 
  cry. 
  In 
  one 
  instance, 
  which 
  I 
  observed 
  this 
  spring, 
  a 
  

   pair 
  of 
  Buzzards 
  left 
  their 
  nest, 
  which 
  contained 
  three 
  eggs, 
  as 
  I 
  

   approached 
  it, 
  and 
  flew 
  silently 
  away 
  till 
  out 
  of 
  sight. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  

   hand, 
  certain 
  individuals, 
  which 
  I 
  believe 
  to 
  be 
  older 
  birds 
  which 
  have 
  

   been 
  much 
  molested 
  at 
  the 
  nest, 
  become 
  extremely 
  bold 
  in 
  defence 
  of 
  

   their 
  eggs 
  or 
  young. 
  Such 
  a 
  case 
  is 
  described 
  by 
  the 
  Rev. 
  C. 
  Wolley 
  

   Dod 
  in 
  the 
  ' 
  Field 
  ' 
  of 
  July 
  2nd, 
  1887. 
  A 
  similar 
  experience 
  befell 
  a 
  

   friend 
  of 
  the 
  writer's 
  when 
  climbing 
  upon 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  Tyrau 
  Mawr, 
  a 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  Cader 
  Idris 
  range. 
  But 
  probably 
  no 
  one 
  has 
  had 
  such 
  full 
  

   and 
  repeated 
  experience 
  of 
  these 
  encounters 
  as 
  Mr. 
  0. 
  R. 
  Owen, 
  of 
  

   Rhayader, 
  whom 
  I 
  have 
  to 
  thank 
  for 
  the 
  following 
  details, 
  and 
  for 
  

   permission 
  to 
  make 
  use 
  of 
  them. 
  It 
  was 
  in 
  May, 
  1902, 
  while 
  Mr. 
  

   Owen 
  was 
  crossing 
  a 
  stretch 
  of 
  moorland 
  through 
  deep 
  heather, 
  that 
  

   he 
  was 
  suddenly 
  startled 
  as 
  a 
  large 
  bird 
  swooped 
  past 
  his 
  head, 
  then 
  

   rose 
  and 
  hovered 
  above 
  him. 
  The 
  Buzzard 
  followed 
  him 
  for 
  at 
  least 
  

   half 
  an 
  hour, 
  and 
  repeated 
  this 
  manoeuvre 
  time 
  after 
  time. 
  "With 
  

   rapid 
  glance 
  downwards, 
  or 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side, 
  it 
  appeared 
  to 
  watch 
  for 
  

   an 
  opportunity 
  of 
  taking 
  Mr. 
  Owen 
  unawares 
  ; 
  then 
  followed 
  a 
  quick 
  

   pounce 
  or 
  downward 
  swoop, 
  causing 
  a 
  rush 
  of 
  air 
  as 
  it 
  swept 
  past 
  just 
  

   above 
  his 
  head. 
  Mr. 
  Owen 
  defended 
  himself 
  with 
  his 
  stick, 
  and 
  nar- 
  

   rowly 
  missed 
  striking 
  the 
  bird 
  many 
  times. 
  Forgetting 
  the 
  Buzzard 
  

   for 
  a 
  moment, 
  he 
  was 
  looking 
  for 
  a 
  Ring-Ouzel's 
  nest, 
  when 
  it 
  came 
  

   at 
  him 
  with 
  such 
  a 
  sudden 
  dash 
  that 
  he 
  lost 
  his 
  hat, 
  slipped, 
  and 
  fell. 
  

   The 
  attack 
  was 
  so 
  fierce 
  and 
  persistent 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  almost 
  bewildering, 
  

   ceasing 
  only 
  when 
  Mr. 
  Owen 
  was 
  some 
  three-quarters 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  from 
  

   the 
  place 
  where 
  the 
  bird 
  commenced 
  its 
  onset. 
  What 
  renders 
  the 
  

   occurrence 
  the 
  more 
  curious 
  is 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  its 
  taking 
  place 
  upon 
  the 
  

   open 
  moor, 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  any 
  suitable 
  nesting-site. 
  

  

  The 
  past 
  spring 
  has 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  observer 
  a 
  repetition 
  of 
  

   similar 
  incidents, 
  the 
  aggressor 
  being 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  a 
  particularly 
  bold 
  

   and 
  fearless 
  individual, 
  which 
  Mr. 
  Owen 
  is 
  inclined 
  to 
  identify 
  with 
  his 
  

   assailant 
  of 
  two 
  years 
  since. 
  Be 
  that 
  as 
  it 
  may, 
  the 
  bird 
  is 
  always 
  

   recognizable, 
  having 
  lost 
  a 
  primary 
  from 
  one 
  of 
  his 
  wings. 
  On 
  May 
  

   3rd, 
  while 
  climbing 
  in 
  an 
  awkward 
  place 
  amongst 
  the 
  rocks, 
  the 
  bird 
  

   made 
  such 
  a 
  determined 
  attack 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Owen, 
  not 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  spare 
  

   a 
  hand 
  to 
  defend 
  himself, 
  remained 
  clinging 
  to 
  a 
  small 
  ash-tree 
  for 
  

   over 
  an 
  hour. 
  The 
  Buzzard 
  came 
  at 
  him 
  each 
  time 
  with 
  legs 
  held 
  

   straight 
  out, 
  talons 
  fully 
  spread, 
  beak 
  sometimes 
  widely 
  open. 
  Only 
  

   with 
  oncoming 
  twilight 
  did 
  it 
  cease 
  its 
  attack, 
  thus 
  releasing 
  my 
  friend 
  

   from 
  an 
  awkward 
  position. 
  A 
  fortnight 
  later 
  Mr. 
  Owen 
  visited 
  the 
  

   locality 
  again, 
  and 
  thus 
  describes 
  his 
  experience 
  : 
  — 
  " 
  The 
  Buzzard 
  was 
  

  

  