i8 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
four feet ; its bill is black, and rather longer than 
that of the Buzzard ; its eyes are yellow ; its head 
is large and flat, and of an afh colour ; upper parts 
of the body dark brown ; the under parts white, 
fpotted or barred with rufty brown on the breall 
and belly ; tail brown, marked with three broad 
dufky bars, between each of which are two or 
three of the fame colour, but narrower ; the legs 
are flout and fhort, of a dull yellow colour ; claws 
black. This bird builds its nell fimilar to that of 
the Buzzard, and of the fame materials ; its eggs 
are of an afh colour, with fmall brown fpots : It 
fometimes takes poffelfion of the nefts of other 
birds, and feeds its young with wafps and other in- 
fers ; it is fond of field mice, frogs, lizards, and 
infedts : it does not foar like the Kite, but flies 
low from tree to tree, or from bufli to bufh : It 
is found in all the northern parts of Europe, and 
in the open parts of Ruffia and Siberia, but is not 
fo common in England as the Buzzard. 
Buffon obferves, that it is frequently caught in 
the winter, when it is fat and delicious eating. 
