OF S E L B O R N E, 
109 
LETTER XLIII. 
TO THE SAME. 
A PAIR of honey-huzzards, huteo tipk'orus, Jive vefpl-vorus Rati, built 
them a large fliallow neft, compofed of twigs and lined with dead 
beechen leaves, upon a tall flender beech near the middle of 
Selborne-hanger, in the fummer of 1780. In the middle of th« 
month of June a bold boy climbed this tree, though ftanding on 
fo fteep and dizzy a fituation, and brought down an egg, the only 
one in the nefl, which had been fat on for fome time, and contain- 
ed the embrio of a young bird. The egg was fmaller, and not 
fo round as thofe of the common buzzard ; was dotted at each end 
with fmall red fpots, and furrounded in the middle with a broad 
bloody zone. 
The hen-bird was fhot, and anfwered exaftly to Mr. Ray's de- 
fcription of that fpecles ; had a black cere, Ihort thick legs, and a 
long tail. When on the wing this fpecies may be eafily diftin- 
guifhed fi'oni the common buzzard by it's hawk-like appearance, 
fmall head, wings not fo blunt, and longer tail. This fpecimen- 
contained in it's craw fome limbs of frogs and many grey fnails 
without fhells. The hides of the eyes of this bird were of a 
beautiful bright yellow colour. 
About the tenth of July in the fame fummer a pair of fparrow- 
hnvh bred in an old crow's neft on a low beech in the fame 
hanger; and as their brood, which was niunerous, began to grow 
