THE ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 139 



white but always forming large long blackish patch on each side 

 breast and belly ; lower flanks, sides of belly and tibial feathers 

 more or less regularly and closely barred white or buffish-white 

 and dark brown ; tarsus to base of toes dark brown, feathers with 

 whitish tips and often with white edgings and only dark brown 

 centres ; under tail-coverts white with here and there dark brown 

 shaft-streak or spot ; axillaries white with dark brown and rust- 

 coloured centres and irregular bars ; under wing-coverts dark brown 

 with white bases forming a black patch ; tail : basal two-thirds 

 white with occasionally a few black-brown spots here and there, 

 extreme tip greyish-white, followed by broad black-brown pen- 

 ultimate bar, occasionally no other definite bar but usually one 

 more and often two more narrower ones divided by greyish-brown 

 or somewhat rufous-buff (sometimes rufous) or white more or less 

 obscured with brown, in those examples with only one definite 

 blackish bar this is extended 30-40 mm. up the feather with brown 

 often slightly tinged rufous ; outer four primaries (occasionally 

 5th) white with black-brown tips to notch on inner webs, outer webs 

 black-brown with a hoary tinge, rest of primaries and secondaries 

 with outer webs and distal part of inner webs pale brown barred 

 dark brown, bases and inner edges of inner webs white ; greater 

 and median coverts brown, faintly barred darker brown and with 

 concealed white bases ; lesser coverts brown edged rufous and on 

 point of wing white. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 April to Nov. 



Nestling. — Down like that of Common Buzzard but down (a) 

 often slightly paler grey on upper-parts . Front and sides of tarsus 

 with down to base of toes. 



Juvenile. — Feathers of upper-parts like adults but with paler 

 brown centres and usually more buff or cream edgings giving a 

 more uniform or less contrasted appearance, concealed portions 

 of feathers of mantle and scapulars more uniform than in adult 

 not being definitely barred ; longer upper tail-coverts with paler 

 brown penultimate patch and shaft-streak and not definitely barred ; 

 under -parts also paler brown and more buff or cream than in adults ; 

 upper-breast streaked brown and not mostly brown as is often 

 case in adults ; sides of lover-breast more uniform brown and not 

 barred as is usual in adults ; feathers of lower flanks and tib'a 

 occasionally with some incomplete brown bars but not strongly 

 barred as is usual in adult and usually mostly buff or cream with 

 brown shafts and brown spot of varying size at tip ; feathers of 

 tarsus also with less brown than in adult ; axillaries cream with 

 brown shaft-streaks and with very little rust-coloured tinge ; 

 tail : brown of distal part paler than in adult, often extending 

 much farther up feather, often without bars and when present 

 these are much less distinct and less prominent than in adult ; 

 wing-feathers and wing-coverts paler brown than in adults. 



First winter and summer. — Like juvenile until moult which 



