﻿124 
  

  

  THE 
  VERTEBRATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  Crathes 
  ; 
  now 
  it 
  has 
  become 
  a 
  rara 
  avis." 
  (Adams.) 
  This 
  is 
  

   a 
  doubtful 
  record. 
  The 
  Glen 
  of 
  Dye 
  and 
  woods 
  of 
  Crathes 
  are 
  

   not 
  localities 
  which 
  the 
  Hen-Harrier 
  would 
  be 
  at 
  all 
  likely 
  to 
  

   frequent. 
  

  

  Genus 
  BUTEO, 
  Lacepede. 
  

   Buteo 
  vulgaris, 
  Leach. 
  Common 
  Buzzard. 
  

  

  Although 
  this 
  bird 
  is 
  called 
  the 
  " 
  Common 
  Buzzard 
  " 
  it 
  

   cannot 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  numerous 
  within 
  " 
  Dee." 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  

   resident 
  nor 
  is 
  it 
  known 
  to 
  breed, 
  and 
  is 
  therefore 
  seen 
  only 
  

   during 
  its 
  autumnal 
  movements, 
  at 
  which 
  season 
  a 
  few 
  are 
  

   killed, 
  chiefly 
  along 
  the 
  coast. 
  

  

  Buteo 
  Sagopus, 
  Gmelm. 
  Rough-Legged 
  Buzzard. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  preceding, 
  this 
  bird 
  is 
  merely 
  an 
  irregular 
  autumn 
  

   visitor 
  to 
  " 
  Dee." 
  In 
  some 
  seasons 
  a 
  good 
  many 
  are 
  killed, 
  

   while 
  others 
  may 
  pass 
  and 
  no 
  Buzzards 
  be 
  seen. 
  Those 
  

   that 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  my 
  hands 
  have 
  been, 
  with 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  

   mature 
  birds, 
  and 
  the 
  differences 
  in 
  colour 
  and 
  intensity 
  

   of 
  markings 
  are 
  very 
  remarkable. 
  

  

  Genus 
  AQUILA, 
  Brisson. 
  

  

  [Aquila 
  clanga, 
  Pallas. 
  Spotted 
  Eagle. 
  

  

  " 
  Spotted 
  Eagle, 
  A. 
  ncevia, 
  shot 
  in 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  Sep- 
  

   tember 
  20th, 
  1861." 
  (Annual 
  report 
  for 
  1880-81 
  of 
  the 
  

   Leeds 
  Phil, 
  and 
  Lit. 
  Society.)] 
  

  

  Aquila 
  chrysaetus, 
  Linn. 
  Golden 
  Eagle. 
  

  

  This 
  noble 
  bird 
  still 
  lingers 
  with 
  us 
  although 
  its 
  numbers 
  

   are 
  sorely 
  reduced 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  what 
  they 
  were 
  in 
  times 
  

   gone 
  by, 
  and 
  its 
  nesting 
  - 
  places 
  within 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  are 
  now 
  few 
  

   indeed. 
  For 
  the 
  past 
  fifty 
  years 
  or 
  more, 
  a 
  war 
  of 
  extermi- 
  

   nation 
  has 
  been 
  going 
  on 
  against 
  it, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  but 
  

   that 
  the 
  Eagle 
  would, 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  years, 
  have 
  been 
  numbered 
  

   amongst 
  the 
  birds 
  that 
  were 
  ; 
  but 
  better 
  thoughts 
  concerning 
  

   it 
  have 
  prevailed, 
  and 
  of 
  late 
  years, 
  in 
  some 
  quarters 
  through- 
  

   out 
  the 
  district, 
  protection 
  has 
  been 
  extended 
  to 
  it 
  during 
  the 
  

   breeding 
  season, 
  by 
  which 
  means 
  some 
  slight 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  