477 



Professor Newton in the ' Ootheca Wolleyana' — which tend to show that the nest is always 

 placed in a tree, at various heights, though usually about 20 feet, and that the number of eggs 

 deposited varies from three to five, four being the usual complement. The dates when the eggs 

 were taken vary between the 14th May and the 23rd June. I am indebted to Messrs. Harvie- 

 Brown and Alston, who found the present species breeding in Norway in 1871, for the following 

 notes, viz. : — 



"This species breeds not uncommonly on the higher fjelds of Norway, but is more abundant 

 in some seasons than others, being most plentiful in 'lemming-years.' It nests generally at an 

 elevation of about 4000 feet above the sea, usually in places difficult of access, but occasionally 

 in very gradually sloping cliffs. All the nests we visited were in very difficult rocks ; but old 

 breeding-places were pointed out to us into which a child could easily have walked. 



"The nest 'is composed of branches of dwarf birch (Betula nana) or juniper (Juniperus 

 communis), lined with thin wiry grass; it is sometimes of considerable size, at others a mere 

 hollow lined with grass and without any sticks. In none did we find any vestige of hair or 

 wool, as is so often the case in the nest of the common Buzzard (Buteo vulgaris) in Scotland. 



" The eggs are from two to five in number. Four was the greatest number obtained by us 

 from one nest ; but from information received from the natives we learned that five were not 

 unusually found. They vary in the amount and distribution of colour, as do those of the common 

 Buzzard. One pair of eggs obtained by us are abnormal in shape, being much elongated, and 

 pointed at both ends. The length of the most aberrant of these two eggs is 2*31 inches, and the 

 breadth 1-43. The dimensions of a typical specimen are — length 2T25 inches, and breadth 1-74. 

 These abnormal eggs have few colour-markings, but were fertile. Eggs considerably incubated 

 were taken on 22nd June, and others quite fresh on 27th June ; and we have since received 

 others taken as late as the 10th September. These late eggs, however, have no colour-markings 

 whatever, and were without doubt a second or third laying. 



"The birds at the nest had habits very similar to those of the common Buzzard as observed 

 by us in Scotland. At one breeding- place visited by us the female, after having left the nest, 

 returned and again took her place. We then hurled down rocks and loose earth from above, 

 and one of our men actually fired a charge of shot and a bullet through the edge of the nest 

 from below, without succeeding in making her quit her post. After attempts which extended 

 over the space of at least an hour, we had to give it up. The following day, however, she left 

 the nest readily, and was shot. On revisiting the spot a week later, we found that the male had 

 already provided himself with a new mate." 



Of the eggs of the present species I possess a tolerably large series, all from Scandinavia, 

 which are marked something like those of the common Buzzard, but appear to be subject to 

 even more variation both in size and markings, some being but scantily marked with dull red, 

 whereas others are very richly blotched with dark red ; indeed so great are the variations that it 

 is impossible to give a detailed description of the various eggs before me. As a rule, those in 

 in my collection are more richly marked than eggs of Buteo vulgaris, and in size they vary from 

 2^ by Iff inch to 2^ by Iff inch. 



The specimens figured are : — on the one Plate a very white young male, no. 3 in the series 

 above described, and an adult but not old female, no. 5 in the series ; and on the second Plate 



