476 



stated by Pere David to occur in North China : but this must, I think, be a mistake, or he has 

 confused Archibuteo strophiatus (Hodg.) with the present species. Dr. Severtzoff gives me the 

 following note respecting its range in the portions of Eastern Russia visited by him : — " This 

 bird arrives in November in the Voronege Government, and feeds on mice on the borders of the 

 steppe and forest, and near the farm outhouses. It may frequently be seen circling over the 

 villages like a Kite, but is not so destructive to the poultry as that species. It leaves for the 

 north in March. During its sojourn with us in the winter it roosts on large trees, but at no 

 great altitude from the ground, and usually on such as are in the interior of the forests. On the 

 Ural river, from Orsk and Orenburg to Guriew, it is found during the day-time hunting after 

 food on the steppes, but roosting in the forests as far as these occur, or, say, to about fifty miles 

 north of Guriew, along the banks of the river. It is said to breed near Orenburg, in the ravines 

 on the steppes; but I suspect that Buteo ferox has been mistaken for the present species, for that 

 species really does breed there in the ravines. Throughout the Kirghis steppes I only met with 

 Archibuteo lagopus in winter, in the most open, treeless localities ; and there it perches on the 

 mosque-like clay-built Kirghis tombs. On the Syr Darja, during the severe winters of 1857-58, 

 the present species was seen attacking the half-starved Pheasants [Ph. mongolicus). It winters 

 in the steppes of Russian Turkestan, all along the northern portion to the foot of the Thian- 

 shan." It is recorded from Siberia by Von Middendorff, who states that it arrives on the 

 Boganida before any of the other birds of prey, the first being observed on the 15th May. 



In habits the Rough-legged Buzzard much resembles the common Buzzard. It is a sluggish 



somewhat heavy-looking bird ; but on the wing, though slow, it is by no means clumsy, and often 



glides for long with extended wings, and evidently without any great exertion. So far as I can 



ascertain, it appears to be somewhat less of a forest-bird than the common Buzzard ; but it breeds 



in trees, though not in the dense forests, but rather on the outskirts of the woods, or in straggling 



trees in the mountains. Its cry resembles the clear, loud, mewing call of the common Buzzard, 



but is rather higher in tone. It utters its call-note frequently, usually when on the wing circling 



high up in the air. During the day it hunts after food in the open portions of the country ; but 



it resorts to some wood or grove for the night, and roosts on a tolerably large tree, resorting 



night after night to the same place, if left unmolested, at least as long as it remains in that part 



of the country. It feeds on small mammals of various kinds, such as field-mice, lemmings, moles, 



frogs, lizards, and, it is said, also insects. It seldom preys on birds, unless it captures a disabled 



or sickly one ; but it is said to occasionally take a young hare, and to follow the Goshawk and 



deprive it of its prey. It frequently hovers for a short time over its prey before it pounces on it, 



and often sits on some elevated perch where it can keep a good look-out for prey. When pressed 



by hunger it will feed on carrion, but scarcely otherwise. As a rule, it is rather a shy bird and 



difficult of approach ; but when one can discover where it retires to roost, it is not difficult to 



shoot it by lying in ambush to await its arrival at sun-down ; or it may be shot by the light of 



the moon. Trees where birds of prey roost may be discovered by looking out on the ground for 



the white excrement, which is generally freely scattered around. 



It breeds in the north of Europe, and only in exceptional cases in the northern portions of 

 Central Europe. The late Mr. John Wolley found it breeding numerously in Lapland ; and most 

 careful details respecting the nests taken by or the eggs brought to him are published by 



