86 
NATUEAL HISTORY OP SELBOENE 
but a new survey, no doubt, should represent every seat and castle 
remarkable for any great event, or celebrated for its paintings, &c. 
Lord Breadalbane's seat and beautiful policy are too curious and extra- 
ordinary to be omitted. 
The seat of the Earl of Eglintoun, near Glasgow, is worthy of notice. 
The pine plantations of that nobleman are very grand and extensive 
indeed. I am, &e. 
LETTEE XLIIL 
TO THE SAME. 
A PAIR of honey-buzzards, Buteo opivorus, sive Vespworus Rati, built 
them a large shallow nest, composed of twigs and lined with dead 
beechen leaves, upon a tall slender beech near the middle of Selborne 
Hanger, in the summer of l^SO."^ In the middle of the month of 
June a bold boy climbed this tree, though standing on so steep and 
dizzy a situation, and brought down an egg, the only one in the nest, 
which had been sat on for some time, and contained the embryo of a 
young bird. The egg was smaller, and not so round as those of the 
common buzzard ; was dotted at each end with small red spots, and 
surrounded in the middle with a broad bloody zone. 
The hen-bird was shot, and answered exactly to Mr. Eay's description 
of that species ; had a black cere, short thick legs, and a long tail. 
When on the wing this species may be easily distinguished from the 
common buzzard by its hawk-like appearance, small head, wings not so 
blunt, and longer tail. This specimen contained in its craw some 
limbs of frogs and many grey snails without shells. The irides of the 
eyes of this bird were of a beautiful bright yellow colour. 
About the tenth of July in the same summer a pair of sparrow- 
hawks bred in an old crow's nest on a low beech in the same hanger ; 
and as their brood, which was numerous, began to grow up, became so 
daring and ravenous, that they were a terror to all the dames in the 
village that had chickens or ducklings under their care. A boy 
climbed the tree, and found the young so fledged that they all escaped 
from him ; but discovered that a good house had been kept : the larder 
was well-stored with provisions ; for he brought down a young black- 
* The honey-buzzard is a rare bird in Great Britain, and extends chiefly along 
the east coast to the south of Scotland, where we have known a few specimens to 
have been killed ; its manner of breeding and habits during that time have not again 
been observed. With the exception of what is stated above by Mr. White all the 
observations that have been made upon their food have tended to show that it was 
almost entirely insectivorous. One which was captured at Twizel, by Mr. Selby, was 
discovered by having scratched out the nest of a wasp ( Vespa vulgaris), and cleaned 
the comb of the immature young and grubs. This bird was procured by setting 
traps around the plundered nest, and upon dissection afterwards no remains of 
animals or birds were discovered, the contents of the stomach being entirely 
insects, and chiefly the remains of the contents of the wasp-comb. The vignette 
at the head of this chapter represents the honey-buzzard in a state of plumage 
which is sometimes met with ; the head and neck being yellowish white or cream 
colour. This we think is incidental to- the young males. The specimen figured 
was taken in Northumberland some years since. 
