162 A DESCRIPTION OF 
mice, rabbits, frogs, and often on all sorts of carrion. 
Too idle to build itself a nest, it generally seizes upon 
the old habitation of a crow, which it lines afresh with 
wool and other soft materials. In general this bird, whose 
colour varies considerably, is brown, varied with yellow 
specks ; at a certain age its head becomes entirely grey. 
The female generally lays two or three eggs, which are 
mostly white, though sometimes spotted with yellow. 
The common length of this bird is twenty -two inches, and 
its breadth upwards of fifty. 
The following anecdote related by Buffon, will show 
that the Buzzard may be so far tamed as to be rendered a 
faithful domestic. A Buzzard which had been caught in 
a snare, was brought to a gentleman, who undertook to 
tame it. It was at first wild and ferocious, but he suc- 
ceeded by leaving it to fast, and constraining it to come 
and eat out of his hand. By pursuing this plan, he 
brought it to be very familiar ; and, after having shut it 
up about six weeks, he began to allow it a little liberty, 
taking the precaution, however, to tie both pinions of its 
wings. In this condition it walked out into his garden, 
and returned when called to be fed ; after some time, 
thinking he might trust to its fidelity, he removed the 
ligatures, and fastened a small bell above its talon, and 
also attached to its breast a bit of copper with his name 
engraved on it. He then gave it entire liberty, which it 
soon abused ; for it took wing and flew into the forest of 
Belesme. The bird was given up for lost ; but four hours 
afterwards, it rushed into the gentleman's hall, pursued 
by five other Buzzards, which had constrained it to seek 
its former asylum. After this adventure it preserved its 
fidelity, coming every night to sleep under the window. 
It soon became familiar, attended constantly at dinner, 
sat on a corner of the table, and often caressed its master 
with its head and bill, emitting a weak, sharp cry, which, 
however, it sometimes softened. It had a singular pro- 
