204 TEE ZOOLOGIST. 



at night and are not seen — or they return by some other and 

 more eastern route. 



Rough-legged Buzzards. — The migration of Eough-legged 

 Buzzards to Norfolk and Suffolk was the largest there has been 

 for several years, and it extended to other counties. In Norfolk 

 at least twelve were trapped or shot. It seems criminal to 

 destroy these splendid birds, but the zeal of our game-keepers, 

 even when they are under their masters' orders, jis not to be 

 restrained. As a matter of fact Buzzards are not active enough 

 to catch a Partridge or a Pheasant, unless already wounded, in 

 which case it is best destroyed. 



As usual, the Eough-legged Buzzard's chief food was Babbits, 

 a partiality well known to Willughby. Willughby, however, did 

 not distinguish between this species and the Common Buzzard 

 (* Ornithology,' pp. 21, 71), nor was it until 1776 that Pennant, 

 in an appendix to his ' British Zoology' (ii, p. 623), recognised 

 the Eough-legged Buzzard as a distinct British species. 



In the neighbourhood of Winterton, Mr. E. C. Saunders 

 informs me these birds killed a great many Babbits, and here 

 they were accused by the warreners of taking Babbits out of 

 traps. Mr. Saunders was told that one man had found as many 

 as four trapped bunnies thus mangled in a morning. 



Two of the Buzzards were announced as early as September, 

 five in October, and about the same number in November. Only 

 one was reported in December ; yet it seems likely that a few 

 stragglers came over even later than this, for several occurred 

 after Christmas, which ought to come into next year's Eeport. 



The sexes seem to have been about equally divided. Most of 

 these Buzzards were in immature plumage, but two of the later 

 ones were well advanced, especially a very fine bird, with closely 

 barred thighs, received by Mr. Gunn. 



The Absence of Rarities. — The only rarities worth calling 

 attention to were the Nyroca Ducks in April and July, a Stork 

 in May, the Buddy Sheld-Ducks in November (probably escaped), 

 and Mr. Saunders' Black-breasted Dipper in the same month. 

 Yellow-browed Warblers are recorded to have visited Suffolk 

 and Lincolnshire and Kent, but none were noted in Norfolk. 



