toises, most of which were about two inches in diameter; and a number of locusts and other insects, most of which were sufficiently whole to be worth preserving, and adding to his collection. He observed too, that, in addition to this mass of food, the craw contained a sort of ball, as large as the egg of a goose, formed of the vertebræ of serpents and lizards, shells of different tortoises, and wings, claws, and shields of different kinds of beetles. This indigestible mass, when it was become sufficiently large, the secretary would, no doubt, vomit up, like other birds of prey*. Dr. Solander says, he has seen one of these birds take up a snake, a small tortoise, or other reptile, in its claw, and dash it with such violence against the ground, that the victim immediately died; if, however, this did not happen to be the case, he tells us that the operation was repeated till it was killed, after which it was eaten. The secretary is easily tamed, and when domesticated, will eat any kind of food, either dressed or raw. If well fed, it not only lives on amicable terms with poultry, but, if it sees any quarrel, will even run to part the combatants, and restore order. It is true, if pinched with hunger, it will take care of itself, and fall, without scruple, on the ducklings and chickens. But this abuse of confidence, if it may be so termed, is but the effect of imperious want, and the pure and simple exercise of that necessity which rigorously devotes one half of what has *Le Vaillant's New Travels, ii, 246. breath to satisfy the appetite of the other. Tame secretaries were seen by M. Le Vaillant in several of the plantations at the Cape. He says they commonly lay two or three white eggs, nearly as large as those of a goose. The young remain a long time in the nest, because their legs being long and slender, they cannot easily support themselves. Even at the age of four months they may be seen to walk resting on the heel, which gives them a very awkward appearancet. But when they are seven months old, and have attained their full growth and size, they display much grace and ease in their motions, which well accord with their stately figure. However shrewd and cunning this bird may be in its general conduct, yet M. de Buffon seems to have attributed to it a much greater degree of intelligence than is really its due: "When a painter, says he, (quoting a letter of the viscount de Querhoent) was employed in drawing one of these birds, it drew near him, looked attentively upon his paper, stretched out its neck, and erected the feathers of its head, as if it admired its figure. It often came with its wings raised, and its head projected, to observe what he was doing. It also thus approached me two or three times when I was sitting at a table in its hut in order to describe it." This stretching out of its head, and erection of its crest, seems, however, to have arisen from nothing more than that love which almost all do. mesticated birds exhibit to have their heads Thunberg says, that they are not to be reared without great difficulty, as they are very apt to break their legs. Vol. i. p. 148, Le Vaillant. Vol, ii, heads scratched. And these birds, when rendered familiar, are well known to approach every person who comes near, and to stretch out their necks by way of making known their desire. It is not long that this singular bird has been known, even at the Cape; but when we consider its social and familiar dispositions, we are disposed to think that it would be adviseable to multiply the species, particularly in our colonies, for it is hardy enough to endure even. European climates, where it might be serviceable in destroying, not only the pernicious reptiles, but rats and mice. It is a very singular circumstance, that this bird strikes forwards with its legs, and not, like all others, backwards. The secretary falcons make a flat nest with twigs, not unlike that of some of the eagles, full three feet in diameter, and line it with wool and feathers. This is usually formed in some high tuft of trees, and is often so well concealed as not easily to be found. Anecdote of the Common Buzzard*, from the same. HE buzzard is about twenty Time by zength, and in breath THE inches in length, and in breadth four feet and a half. Its bill is lead coloured. The upper parts of the body are dusky brown, and the lower pale, varied with brown. The wings and tail are marked with bars of a darker hue. The tail is greyish beneath, and tipped with a dusky white. The legs are yellowish, and the claws black. This well known bird, is of a sedentary and indolent disposition: it continues perched for many hours upon a tree or eminence, from whence it darts upon such prey as comes in its reach. It feeds on birds, small quadrupeds, reptiles, and insects. Though possessed both of strength, agility, and weapons to defend itself, it is cowardly, inactive, and slothful: it will fly before a sparrow hawk, and, when overtaken, will suffer itself to be beaten, and even brought to the ground, without resistance +. The ensuing anecdote, will shew that the buzzard may be so far tamed, as even to be rendered a faithful domestic. We shall recite it, verbatim, from the letter of the relater, M. Fontaine, a most intelligent naturalist. "In 1763 (says this gentleman) buzzard was brought to me that had been taken in a snare; it was, at first, extremely savage, and even cruel. I undertook to tame it, and I succeeded, by leaving it to fast, and constraining it to come and cat out of my hand. By pursuing this plan, I brought it to be very familiar and, after having shut it up about six weeks, I began to allow it a little liberty, taking the precaution, however, to tie both pinions of its wings. In this condition it garden, and rewalked out into my garden, and returned when I called it to feed. After some time, when I judged that I could trust to its fidelity, I removed the ligatures, and fastened a small bell, an inch and a half in diameter, above its talon, and also attached on the breast, a bit of copper, having my name engraven on it. I then gave it entire liberty, which it Synonyms.-Falco Buteo, Linn-Buse, Buff-Buzzard, Penn.-Common Buzzard, Lath.-Bew. Birds, p. 15.-Penn. Brit. Zool, vol, i, tab. 25. Latham, i. 48. it soon abused; for it took wing, and flew as far as the forest of Belesme. I gave it up for lost; but four hours after, I saw it rush into my hall, which was open, pursued by five other buzzards, who had constrained it to seek again its asylum. After this adventure, it ever preserved its fidelity to me, coming, every night, to sleep on my window; it grew so familiar, as to seem to take singular pleasure in my company. It attended constantly at dinner, sat on a corner of the table, and very often caressed me with its head and bill, emitting a weak sharp cry, which, however, it sometimes softened. It is true, that I alone had this privilege. It one day fol lowed me when I was on horseback, more than two leagues, sailing above my head. This buzzard had a singular antipathy; he would not suffer a red cap on the head of any of the peasants, and so alert was he in whipping it off, that they found their heads bare without knowing what was become of their caps. He also snatched wigs without doing any injury, and he carried these caps and wigs to the tallest tree in a neigh bouring park, which was the ordinary deposit of his booty. : "He would not suffer any other bird of prey to enter his domain ; he attacked them very boldly, and put them to flight. He did no mischief in my court-yard; and the poultry which, at first, dreaded him, grew insensibly reconciled to him. The chickens and ducklings received not the least harsh usage, and yet he bathed among the latter. But, what is singular, he was not gentle "It had an aversion both to dogs to my neighbour's poultry and I and cats, nor was it, in the least, was often obliged to publish that I afraid of them; it had often tongh would pay for the damages that he battles with them, but always came might occasion. However, he was off victorious. I had four very often fired at, and he, at different strong cats, which I collected into times, received fifteen shots without my garden to my buzzard. I threw suffering any fracture. But once, to them a bit of raw flesh; the nim- early in the morning, hovering over blest cat seized it, the rest pursued; the skirts of a forest, he dared to but the bird darted upon her body, attack a fox; and the keeper, seebit her ears with his bill, and squeezing him on the shoulders of the fox, ed her sides with his talons, with such force, that the cat was obliged to relinquish her prize. Often another cat snatched it, the instant it dropped, but she suffered the same treatment, till the buzzard got entire possession of the plunder. He was so dextrous in his defence, that when he perceived himself assailed, at once, by the four cats, he took wing, and uttered a cry of exultation. At last, the cats, chagrined with their repeated disappointment, would no longer contend. 3 fired two shots at him; the fox was killed, and the buzzard had his wing broken; yet, notwithstanding this fracture, he escaped from the keeper, and was lost seven days. "This man, having discovered, from the noise of the bell, that he was my bird, came next morning to inform me. I sent to make search near the spot, but the bird could not be found, nor did it return till seven days after. I had been used to call him every evening with a whistle, which he did not answer for six days; days; but, on the seventh, I heard a feeble cry at a distance, which I judged to be that of my buzzard. I repeated the whistle a second time, and heard the same cry. I went to the place from whence the sound came, and, at last, found my poor buzzard with his wing broken, who had travelled more than half a league on foot to regain his asylum, from which he was then distant about a hundred and twenty paces. Though he was extremely reduced, he gave me many caresses. It was six weeks before he was recruited, and his wounds were healed; after which he began to fly as before, and follow his old habits for about a year; he then disappeared for ever. I am convinced he was killed by accident, and that he would not have forsaken me from choice*." The buzzard is one of the most common of the hawk kind that we have in this country. It breeds in large woods, and usually builds in an old crow's nest, which it enlarges, and lines it in the inside with wool and other soft materials. It feeds and tends its young, which are generally two or three in number, with great assiduity. Ray affirms, that if the female be killed during the time of incubation, the male buzzard will take the charge of them, and patiently rear the young till they are able to provide for themselves. On the Culture of the Vine in Crim Tartary, from the 2d Volume of the Travels of Professor Pallas. THE grape is not only an inde in the mountainous parts of the Crimea, sometimes having oblong white berries, and sometimes small round black fruit; but it has also been planted in different vallies and districts from the remotest periods of antiquity. Strabot mentions the culture of the vine near the Bosphorus, and the care taken to cover it with earth during the winter, or to bury its roots in the soil, in order to shelter them from the cold; as is still practised in the vicinity of the Alma and Katsha. It is certain that the Crimean peninsula is indebted to the Greeks for the culture of the vine; which was afterwards extended by the Genoese in the territories occupied by that enterprising people. The manner in which this plant is propagated on the banks of the Alma, the Katsha, and the Belbek, has already been mentioned. I am convinced, and experience has proved, that it is useless to shelter vines from the cold during severe winters, as is practised in the vicinity of the abovenamed rivers, by accumulating earth round the crown of their roots. Such labour is not without some benefit ; for not only the soil is thus more frequently stirred, and cleared from parasitic plants, but vegetation is likewise promoted; so that the leaves and blossoms, as well as the grapes, appear at an earlier period; in consequence of which the latter may be suffered to become more perfectly ripe during autumn. The method * Letter of M. Fontaine, cure de saint Pierre de Belesme, to the comte de Buffon. ↑ Lib. VII. “ In eodum (Bosphori) trajectu ferunt, Neoptolemum Mithridatis legatum estate navali prælio, hyeme equestri pugna, barbaris superiorem discesisse. Sed et vites ajunt in Bosphoro sub hyemem defodi, multa ingesta terra.” method above alluded to (like that practised in Hungary) consists in training the vines in the manner of bushes with a stump above the root, so as to produce several prolific shoots: it is, doubtless, far more productive, but can only be pursued in the richest soils, and tends to exhaust the stocks in a shorter space of time. On account of their fertility, the vineyards of these regions are sold at high prices; though the wine is cheap, and the culture requires great labour: they are usually estimated, according to the number of fruit-bearing bushes, at one rouble each. The manner of planting the layers, on the banks of those rivers, is altogether different from that practised in the southern vallies. First, the land, in which such plantation is intended to be made, is prepared by the plough and spade: next a post with a point of iron or hard wood, is driven perpendicularly into the soil, to a sufficient depth; so that, when the layer is inserted, there may be from five to six knots under ground, and only two visible above the surface. The stake or piece of wood is now withdrawn, and a plant deposited in each hole; which is then filled up with loose mould, and afterwards with water, that remains there for a considerable time, owing to the compression of the earth, occasioned by forcing in the stake. According to the state of the weather, such are subsequently irrigated every third or fourth week till autumn, or until the layers have taken root. In the succeeding year the surrounding soil is dug up, and these new plantations are supplied with water from canals. At Sudagh, and in the other southern vallies, the vine is planted either 1 according to the Greek mode, in small oblong trenches, in each of which two or three layers are deposited in opposite directions, small drains being cut from one to another for carrying off the water; or, long parallel trenches are dug, wherein the layers are obliquely arranged on both sides: the latter method has probably been introduced by the Genoese. The Tartars, however, seldom plant new vineyards, and their manner of cultivating the vine consists chiefly in making layers; in burying the old unproduc tive vine-stocks in deep pits, either in the middle or on the borders of the plantation; and in leaving a few good branches above ground, on which only two eyes are suffered to remain. When this operation is performed on the borders, with a view to extend the vineyard, it is denominated by the Greek word Usatma; and that executed in the centre, in order to fill up the vacant space, is termed Katavolat. There is, likewise, a third method of stocking old plantations, called Doldurma ; it is effected by putting long twigs deeply into the soil, and separating them from the parent trunk, as soon as they have taken root. By such injudicious treatment, however, all the vines in the plantations on the southern shore are irregularly set; their roots promiscuously intertwining, not unlike espaliers, under ground. There are only a few foreign proprietors, who have lately applied themselves to the propagation of this useful shrub, by forming new plantations. As the vine is never covered with soil, during the winter, in any of the southern vallies, where it receives no injury from the severest frosts, and as the Tartars stir the surrounding |