475 



of Scizralsk and Belebleff; but it has only been observed during migration in the Government 

 of Voronege. It is possible, however, that the Booted Eagle may have been in some instances 

 mistaken for the present species. In Germany the Rough-legged Buzzard is a winter visitant, 

 and, according to Borggreve, visits the eastern and central districts regularly, appearing with less 

 regularity in the western portion. It is also stated to have bred in Germany. Mr. A. von 

 Homeyer writes (J. f. O. 1859, p. 52) that "Mr. F. D. Heynemann obtained eggs from the 

 Taunus ; the female, shot from the nest, left no doubt as to its being really that of a Rough- 

 legged Buzzard;" and Mr. Wiese says (J. f. O. 1867, p. 82) that "Mr. Schultz, of the Pome- 

 ranian Fusiliers, a reliable man, shot some years previously, in a forest in the Wackrow district, 

 close to the Greifswald, a Rough-legged Buzzard as it flew off its nest, which latter contained 

 one egg." 



KJEerbolling says that it only visits Denmark during passage in September and October, and 

 again in March and April, a few remaining throughout the winter. It has, he adds, been stated 

 to have nested in Jutland. In Holland it is a winter visitant ; Mr. Labouchere informs me that 

 it frequents the sand dunes, where it is rather numerous in some seasons. It is said to be rare 

 in Belgium, where it appears in November, and remains during a portion of the winter ; and it 

 visits Luxemburg during passage. In France it appears to be of irregular occurrence on migra- 

 tion, and in the south it is very rare. Mr. Howard Saunders informs me that there are no 

 specimens in the Perpignan Museum, and only two instances of its capture near Toulouse are 

 on record — both in very severe winters. He has also seen a specimen obtained at Bagnieres de 

 Bigorre. It is doubtful if it has occurred in Portugal ; and there is no authentic instance of its 

 capture in Spain. It is now well known that the Buteo lagopus of Machado and other Spanish 

 naturalists is nothing but the Booted Eagle. It is but rarely found south of the Alps ; three 

 occurrences are on record in the Veronese, and three in the Modenese districts, one in that of 

 Rome, one in Sardinia, and one, many years ago, near Syracuse, in Sicily. Mr. C. A. Wright 

 writes respecting its reputed occurrence in Malta (Ibis, 1869, p. 245) as follows: — "I find in 

 Dr. Gulia's ' Repertorio di Storia Naturale ' of Malta the following notice of the occurrence of 

 this species here: — 'In 1843, it was recognized by Professors Zerafa and G. Delicata. In 1859, 

 I saw an individual which was killed at Zurrico.' " It does not appear to have been observed by 

 any of the Greek ornithologists in Greece ; but I possess a specimen sent to me (unlabelled) in 

 an Albanian collection. It visits Southern Germany during winter, and is, Dr. A. Fritsch states, 

 sometimes very numerous in Bohemia. The late Mr. E. Seidensacher told me that stragglers 

 appear in winter in Styria, and remain about the same place. In very severe winters it is more 

 common. 



Messrs. Elwes and Buckley say (Ibis, 1870, p. 72) that it is "occasionally found near Con- 

 stantinople in winter. It has been killed by Mr. Robson, and it is also contained in M. Alleon's 

 collection." In Southern Russia, Professor von Nordmann says, he never observed it during the 

 summer ; but in winter it was very abundant from November onwards, increasing up to January. 

 When the frosts are very severe they migrate further southwards ; but as soon as the snows melt 

 and the rodents begin to come out of their holes, they return : their principal food is Arvicola 

 arvalis. One very severe winter he found one devouring a Short-eared Owl. It has never been 

 met with south of the Mediterranean ; but to the eastward it is found into Siberia, and is even 



