South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-16
An Unusual Glimpse Of a
Buzzard'S Family

Tt IS difficult 10 think o. buzzard
7 in any other connection than with
( grewsome things. and amid gnastly
1 surroundings 70 is bird We asso-
ciate with death and the neglected
dead, OF course there must he baby
buzzards. otherwise there could be
/ no scavensers of the skies 20 grow
up and perform their horrible rites
on plain and battlefield. but the
average imagination does not read
/ Ivy include a conception OF the buz-
zard amid scenes of domestic peace
/ and JOY.
Having only the average magma
+ ton, it is therefore perhaps with
7 relief We may learn there is after
/ all no necessity for such a concep-
tion-its reality does not exist ON
/ the testimony OF a vigorous YOUNG
naturalist who has climbed several
gaunt trees in a desolate portion of
Wales and looked into the nests OF
several pairs of buzzards, the baby
birds are cannibals. and frequently
feast upon one another
This grewsOme discovery was not
made i'm the first nest he inspected,
on the contrary il presented rather
an attractive picture. liz was built
/ soiidly OF sticks and stems or dry
! bracken Around its border small
/ sprays OF freshly plucked larch had
been neatly arranged, lending or
1 ? decorative effect Within were
two young buzzards thicllly clad in
pale gray down with a shade of pink
in it, They had large dark eyes
and beaks with touch of yellow
Between these two fedglings. and
being kept warm by their bodies
was an Unmatched egg. partly clip
ed and about 20 release "a little
brother or sister. Althoush the par
ent birds were away. the larder was
well stocked There were the bodies
Of a shrew-mouse and young rab-
bit. and the skin of another little
ia bbit. it looked as though the par
ents-called away perhaps 10 some
great distance by urgent business
had realized the cannipalisuc i'm
stinCt of their offsprings and had
left an abundance of provender as a
safeguard against temptation
Wise they were no doubt. for boz
another nest inspected by the young
naturalist. conclusive evidence was
found that ore little bird had been
feasting upon the slain body OF its
smaller brother.
Although it is known that the
mother buzzard usually lays three
eggs. she seldom rears more than
two and often only one ia a brood
Cannibalism. combined with the
habits Of the parents, explains iC
The old birds begin 90 sit as soon
as the first egg is laid. The youne
are therefore Matched at intervals of
+ several days These creatures oeinE
naturally fierce and Voracious carry
out in practice the yarn of the
Nancy Bell The weakest is eaten
first. the next in size follows. until
I the one survivor literally represents
in himself the whole "ship's-crew.
In describing the barren and for
bidding locality in which discovery
of the buzzards nests was made
and the return OF the parent birds
the naturalist 10 whom ] have been
+ referring. writes as follows
The valley is practically treeless.
but. al one point where a small tri-
butary runs down 10 the main
stream the hillside on the left
opens unexpectedly and discloses a
sheltered hollow OF considerable
size where some thirsty larch trees
have survived They slope AT ODD
angles. and are much gnarled and
twisted CuckOos call VIGOROUSLY
from among them. each cuckoo at
tended by a pair Of indignant tit
larks A wheater. perched on a
dead twig. joins in the scolding a.
sight OF human intruders.
NO other bird-life is apparent till
swiftly moving shadow passes
over the hillside IT is cast by 9
/ buzzard soaring by with almost
/ motionless broad wings that bend
upward at the tips in a singular
7 way
Presently ne is Joined by his