THE YOUNG NATtJKALLST. 



110 



LOCAL. LISTS. 



The Geometrina of Plymouth and vicinity. 

 (Continued from p. 68.) 

 By G. C. BIGNELL, M E.S. 



E. nanata. — Not common. May, June, and 

 August. Homerdown, Brixton Brake. 



E. vulgata. — Rare near Plymouth. April, 

 May, and July. Road to Whitsand Day 

 Maker. 



E. absynthiata. — Not rare. June and July. 

 Wembury. 



E, assimilata, — Common. May and August. 



Everywhere in gardens, on currant bushes. 

 E. dodoneata.— Rare. April, May, and June. 



Boringdon Wood. 

 E. abbreviates — -Common. March and April. 



Bickleigh and Cann Wood. 

 E. exiguata. — Rare. May and June. Ivy- 

 bridge, Whitsand Bay. 

 E. pumilata. — Rare. April and May, and 



again in July and August. Lee Moor 



Tramway, Ivybridge. 

 E. coronata. — Rare. April and May, and 



again in August. Plymbridge. 



BRITISH BIRDS; THEIR 

 NESTS AND EGGS. 



By S. L. Mosley. 



5. ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 

 Buteo lagopus, Flem. 

 Fjosbent wrak, (Sweden), 

 Bickkam, (Lapland), 

 Piekonna, (Finland), 

 Lagopus. — Lagos (Gr.) a hare ; pons (Gr.) 

 a foot. 



Size. — Male, length about ift. 10 inches, 

 expanse of wings 4ft. 210. Female, 

 from two to four inches larger. 



Plumage. — This species does not vary 

 so much as the last one, and the variations to 

 which it is subject, are probably the result 

 of age. 



The Adult Male has the head covered 



! with long pointed feathers, having brown | 

 centres and yellowish margins, giving that j 

 i part of the bird a striped appearance ; the jj 

 ! space between the bill and eye is devoid of if 

 feathers but covered withakindof bristle. The! 

 back and wings are brown, the primaries being V 

 rather darker and the secondaries tipped I 

 ; with lighter color. Breast yellowish-white, 

 each feather having a brown centre. Across 

 i the belly is a broad brown band. The thighs 

 I arc yellowish-white, spotted with brown and 

 shaded with reddish. The tarsi are clothed 

 with feathers down to the feet. The wings are | 

 almost white underneath, the tips of the pri< 

 maries and the feathers about the first joint 

 being dark. The tail is also whitish under- j 

 neath, with a darker band across the end.; 

 During life the bill and claws are horn-color; 

 I the cere, eye and toes yellow. Dresser in his, 

 " Birds of Europe," says " the variation of 

 plumage in this species, as with most of the 

 Buzzards is so great that it is impossible to 

 give descriptions of all the stages and varia- i 

 tions of plumage." 



The Female is generally paler than the 

 male, becoming quite grey with age. 



Immature Birds, according to Dresser, arei 

 generally darker than adults. 



The Young are at first covered with white 

 down. 



Varieties. — Seem to be very rare. Mr. 

 Bond, whose experience in varieties is so I 

 great, never saw or heard of an albino or 

 pied specimen. 



Note. — The note of this species is said ton 

 be not unlike that of the Common Buzzard,! 

 and is described as "aloud squeal resembling! 

 the words kahaa. " Another author says itl 

 resembles the words " Bii, bii." 



Flight. — On the wing the Rough-legged* 

 Buzzard is slow and steady, beating overj 

 moors or meadows, and stealing unaware? 

 upon its prey. At other times it will soar 

 aloft over its nest, after the manner of its 

 commoner congener. On the wing this 

 species may be distinguished by the under sidi 

 j of the tail being white. 



