322 COMMON BUZZARD. 
migrating to some extent even from Northern Germany during the 
colder months, but residing in the central districts. Small flocks 
pass over Heligoland throughout the year, except in June and July. 
In the south of Europe, though sometimes seen on passage in large 
numbers, the Buzzard is rather local as a breeding-species ; while in 
Western Asia, Egypt, and North Africa, the resident form is the 
aforesaid B. desertorum. Our Buzzard, however, inhabits the Cape 
Verde Islands, Canaries and Madeira, while the Azores owe their 
name to its abundance when the Portuguese discovered that group. 
Cliffs, especially those covered with ivy or scrub, are favourite 
resorts in Wales, the Lake country and Scotland; but in wooded 
districts the nest is usually built in a tree, and, when placed in a 
fork, is frequently a deep, bulky structure of sticks, with a slight 
cavity on the top, lined and surrounded with green leaves, which 
are renewed from time to time. The 3-4 eggs are greyish-white, 
blotched and streaked with reddish-brown and pale lilac; measure- 
ments 2'25 by 1°75 in. Both birds take part in incubation, which 
usually begins about the middle of April and lasts four weeks. 
There is no evidence that this species is destructive to game, its 
ordinary food consisting of field-mice, moles and other small mam- 
mals, frogs, reptiles, grasshoppers, and even earth-worms; but it 
takes small birds when it can pounce upon them unawares. Unless 
pressed by hunger, it is sluggish in its habits, though when on the 
wing its spiral gyrations are remarkably graceful. 
The plumage varies greatly, irrespective of sex or locality. Very 
old birds are dark brown above and below, with a few light 
markings on the breast ; tail brown, with twelve darker bars; legs 
bare of feathers and yellow in colour. Length: male 21 in., wing 
14°5 in.; female 23 in., wing 16 in. Very handsome varieties— 
ranging from cream-colour mottled with brown to pure white—are 
often found on the Continent. The young bird has the upper 
parts paler ; throat brown, streaked with white ; breast blotched with 
brown on a white ground. 
A bird said to have been killed at Everley, Wiltshire, in September 
1864, was considered by the late Mr. J. H. Gurney to be 
B. desertorum ; and to this species he also ascribed two examples, 
obtained near Newcastle, in the Hancock collection. 
The American &. borealis is said to have been shot in Notting- 
hamshire in the autumn of 1860; and a dealer’s specimen of the 
American B. Zneatus is stated to have been obtained near Kingussie 
on February 26th 1863. 
