453 



larger woods and small groves, and even in small isolated groups of trees. It is a migrant, 

 arriving, according to the season, from the latter part of February to the beginning of April ; 

 but this year (1875), as we had from 16° to 17° Cent, of frost in the night between the 22nd 

 and 23rd March, we shall scarcely see any Buzzards until late in April. In September or 

 October it migrates southward again ; but in very mild seasons stragglers are met with through- 

 out the winter." In Western Germany and the Rhenish Provinces I have frequently, almost 

 daily, observed or heard the loud wailing cry of the Buzzard during the nesting-season ; and it is 

 said to breed in small numbers in Belgium, where, however, as a rule, it is said by Baron De 

 Selys to be a winter visitant, arriving early in the autumn and leaving again in April. Heer 

 van Wickevoort-Crommelin informs me that in Holland it breeds in the eastern provinces and 

 only rarely in the western part, but is extremely numerous during the autumn passage, at which 

 season in 1869 he obtained upwards of a hundred specimens. In a letter from Mr. H. M. 

 Labouchere, however, this latter gentleman informs me that it breeds in Southern Holland. 

 In France it is resident and tolerably numerous ; and it is also said to be common in Portugal. 

 I met with it in the different parts of Spain where I collected ; and it is stated by the different 

 ornithologists who have written on the avifauna of that country to breed commonly in the 

 wooded portions. 



In Savoy it is one of the commonest birds of prey, and is very abundant throughout Italy at 

 all seasons of the year, and resident also in Sardinia and Sicily. Mr. A. B. Brooke remarks 

 (Ibis, 1873, p. 150) that the Buzzards he obtained in Sardinia were extremely small in size com- 

 pared with those from the continent. 



In Greece and the Ionian Islands it is said to occur during winter. Lord Lilford found it 

 common in Corfu and Epirus early in the year ; but it disappeared late in February, and he did 

 not observe it until the following November ; he observed very few, however, during the ensuing 

 winter. He adds that he saw one near Govino in June 1858. Both Lindermayer and Von der 

 Miihle speak of it as being common in Greece during the winter, leaving for the north in 

 March; but the former gentleman states that it breeds in Northern Greece. In Southern 

 Germany it is common ; and Dr. A. Fritsch states that it is resident in Bohemia. I observed it 

 in Servia and Wallachia; and Messrs. Elwes and Buckley say that it is not uncommon in the 

 wooded districts of Bulgaria. It is also stated by Von Nordmann to be abundant in Southern 

 Russia. It occurs in Asia Minor during winter, but is said by Dr. Kriiper to be rare near 

 Smyrna ; and he adds that a few remain there throughout the summer. He found a nest, con- 

 taining two eggs, on the 20 th May, and says that three pairs remained to breed near Burnova in 

 the previous season. Canon Tristram, who observed it in Palestine, says (Ibis, 1865, p. 254): — 

 it " was very plentiful in the plains of Phoenicia and Acre during winter, resorting to the gardens 

 and orchards or perching on trees in the open plains. It is also common at that season in the 

 Lebanon. We shot one in December close to Mount Carmel, the most southerly point at which 

 we observed it; but it never afterwards came under our notice." It appears to be a very rare 

 straggler in Africa, as the various authors on the ornithology of that country all agree in stating 

 that it is only occasionally seen. 



Von Heuglin states (Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 92) that it occurs in North-east Africa, but is cer- 

 tainly an extremely rare straggler during the winter, as during the many years he collected there 



