THE YOUNG 



Migration.— This bird, like the last, is 

 a migratory species. Here, where it is so 

 rare, its movements cannot be much observed, 

 but on the Quickiock fells, in Lapland, where 

 it is abundant, it arrives as a spring migrant 

 early in May. It must remain till, at least, 

 the middle of September, for the ' Old Bush- 

 man " found young in the nest as late as the 

 sixth of August 



Food. — On the Norwegian fells the food 

 of the Rough-legged Buzzard is principally 

 Lemming .and fell mice, but it occasionally 

 attacks other animals, such as Ptarmigan, 

 rabbits, rats, moles, and also frogs and large 

 insects. It seems to feed later than most 

 of this family, being often seen hawking 

 about long after sunset. 



In Confinement it should have plenty of 

 room, a condition which applies equally to all 

 birds, with water for washing, and be fed 

 upon raw meat, or any of the animals named 

 above. 



Habitat. — The Rough-legged Buzzard is 

 frequently met with in this country, there 

 scarcely being a county in which it has not 

 occurred. In some of the south-east and 

 eastern counties it has been common in 

 certain years, particularly on some of the 

 rabbit warrens o. Norfolk and Suffolk. In 

 north-west Yorkshire, about Skipton and 

 Craven, it is occasionally met with, and one is 

 the possession of Mr. Smithurst, of Leeds, 

 which he captured in Bishop's wood, near 

 Selby, when on a mothing expedition. In 

 Ireland it is said to be rare, but no doubt, 

 both there and in many other parts of 

 Britain, many a line specimen has been 

 killed, the only record left of it being two 

 rusty nails and a damaged skull perhaps on 

 an old barn door — not much to identify a 

 species by. 



Abroad it is common over the northern 

 parts of Europe ; not rare in Germany, Hol- 

 land and Belgium ; it occurs also in parts of 

 Russia. In southern France, Italy and 

 Sardinia it is rare, and does not seem to 

 have been met with in Greece, and it is very J 



AT UE A LI ST. 117 



doubtful if in Spain. Portugal, or Africa, It 

 is found in Asia. This species does not 

 occur in America, it having been confounded 

 with a closely allied species — B. Scancti, 

 Johanny. 



Nest. — In Britain the nest of this species 

 has been seldom met with. One is recorded 

 from the neighbourhood of Scarbro, but it is 

 in the wildest parts of Scotland that it should 

 be looked for. On the Lap fells the first 

 nest found was on the 21st of May. It is 

 placed in a tree, or on a rocky ledge up the 

 side of the fells. The nest is described as a 

 coarse edifice of sticks, very loosely put to- 

 gether, and lined with grass and moss. 



Eg'g'S.— Three eggs is the usual number 

 laid by this bird, but occasionally a nest is 

 found containing four, five, and in one instance 

 even six. Many are almost undistinguishable 

 from those of the common Buzzard and Kite. 

 The markings are generally more numerous, 

 and larger, and more defined, but vary much 

 in color. Some specimens are dingy white 

 with a few faint marks. One (pi. V, 

 fig. 3.) received from the late Mr. J. H. Dunn, 

 of Stromness, is marked not unlike some 

 specimens of the Sparrowhawk ; and another 

 (pi. V, fig- 3,) which I have copied from 

 " Oothkca Woolevaxa " is beautifully 

 streaked with pale brown and grey. The 

 specimen from which this latter figure was 

 taken came from Lapmark. 



DIFFICULTIES FOR 

 BEGINNERS. 



By John E. Robson. 



No. 4. — MIAN A STRIGILIS. 



While most of the difficulties beginners 

 have to contend with, occur when two species 

 are very nearly alike ; there are one or two 

 insects, that by their extreme variability, 

 make a difficulty of another sort ; for the 

 young collector expects he has got three or 

 four distinctly different insects, and is both 

 amazed and disappointed when he finds his 



