HE goshawk is larger than the common buzzard, but of a DESCRIP. longer and more elegant form. The bill is blue towards T longer the base, black at the tip: the cere a yellowish green: over each eye is a white line; and on the fide of the neck is a bed of broken white the head, hind part of the neck, back and wings are of a deep brown color: the breaft and belly white, beautifully marked with numerous tranfverfe bars of black and white: the tail is long, of a brownish ash-color, marked with four or five dusky bars placed remote from each other. The legs are yellow: the claw of the back, and that of the inner toe very large and ftrong. This fpecies and the fparrow hawk, are diftinguished by Mr. Willughby by the name of short winged hawks, because their wings, when clofed, fall fhort of the end of the tail. The goshawk was in high efteem among falconers, and flown at cranes, geefe, pheasants and partridges. It breeds in Scotland, and builds its neft in trees; is very deftructive to game, and dashes through the woods after its quarry with vaft impetuofity; but if it cannot catch the object of its pursuit almost immediately, defifts, and perches on a bough till fome new game prefents itself. Le T Falco milvus. Lin. fyft. 126. The Kite. Br. Zool. 66. Tab. A. z. Glente. Brunnich 3. HE kite generally breeds in large forefts, or wooded mountanous countries: its neft is made externally with fticks, lined with feveral odd materials, fuch as rags, bits of flannel, rope, and paper. It lays two, or at moft three eggs: which, like those of other birds of prey, are much rounded, and blunt at the smaller end; they are white, fpotted with a dirty yellow. Its motion in the air diftinguishes it from all other birds; being fo fmooth and even, as to be scarce perceptible; fometimes it will remain quite motionlefs for a confiderable fpace; at others glides through the fky, without the least apparent action of its wings: from thence is derived the old name of Glead, or Glede, from the Saxon Glida. Lord Bacon obferves, that when kites fly high, it portends fair and dry weather. Some have fuppofed thefe to be birds of paffage; but in England they certainly continue the whole year. Clufius relates* that when he was in London, he observed a most amazing number of kites that flocked there for the fake of the offals, &c. which were flung in the ftreets. They were fo tame as to take their Belon obf. ad finem Clus. exot. 108. prey in the midst of the greatest crowds; and it was forbidden to kill them. The tail of this kind is fufficient to distinguish it from all other British birds of prey, being forked. Pliny thinks that the invention of the rudder arose from the obfervation men made of the various motions of that part, when the kite was fteering through the the air. Certain it is that that the most useful arts were originally copied from animals; however we may now have improved upon them. Still in thofe nations which are in a ftate of nature, (fuch as the Samoieds and Efquimaux) their dwellings are inferior to thofe of the beavers, which thofe fcarcely human beings but poorly copy. The weight of this fpecies is forty-four ounces: the length twen- DESCRIP. ty-feven: the breadth five feet one inch. The bill is two inches long, and very much hooked at the end: the cere yellow: irides of a ftraw-color. The head and chin are of a light grey, in fome, white, marked with oblong ftreaks of black: the neck and breast are of a tawny red, but the middle of the feathers black. On the belly and thighs, the fpots are fewer, and under the tail they almost vanish. The upper part of the back is brown, the middle covered with very foft white down. The five firft quil feathers are black; the inner webs of the others dufky barred with black, and the lower edges white. The coverts of the wings are varied with tawny black and white: the tail is forked, and of a tawny red: the outmost feather on each fide of a darker hue than the reft; and marked with a few obfcure dusky spots: the thighs are covered with very long feathers: the legs are yellow and ftrong. * Iidem videntur artem gubernandi docuiffe caudæ flexibus. Lib. x. c. 10. Thefe Thefe birds differ in their colors. We have feen a beautiful variety fhot in Lincolnshire that was entirely of a tawny color. 54. Bu z ZARD. DESCRIP. Le Buse, ou Bufard. Belon av. 100. Buteo, feu Triorches. Ald. av. I. 190. Common Buzzard, or Puttock. Wil. TH Wald Geyer. Kram. 329. Pojana. Zinan. 85. Scopoli. No. 4. HIS bird is the commoneft of the hawk kind we have in on England. It breeds in large woods, and usually builds on an old crow's neft, which it enlarges and lines with wool, and other foft materials: it lays two or three eggs, which are sometimes wholly white; fometimes fpotted with yellow. The cock buzzard will hatch and bring up the young, if the hen is killed *. The young confort with the old ones for fome little time after they quit the neft; which is not ufual with other birds of prey, who always drive away their brood as foon as they can fly. This fpecies is very fluggifh and inactive; and is much lefs in motion than other hawks, remaining perched on the fame bough for the greatest part of the day, and is found at most times near the fame place. It feeds on birds, rabbets, moles and mice; it will also eat frogs, earth-worms and infects. This bird is fubject to fome variety in its colors: we have seen some whose breaft and belly were brown, and only mark |