March 19.—Waiked out into the Hungjao country this morning—still a scene of loneliness land devastation with a few stunted and weed-bound crops. Overhead sailed a great Kite-like bird, but with lighter plumage showing it tó be one of the Buzzards, and a Falcon swooping and rising in search of a meal. All around me I could hear the clucking of Pheasants as they lchattered and signalled among themselves like domestic fowls in a farmyard. Noting some bobbing heads among the beans (for birds were lying close with those pirates up above) I put up six Pheasants—four hens and two cocks—the latter rising first, as is their habit, and "kuk-kuk-huking" their panic as they flew. I followed the direction last taken by the Buzzard land, walking along a creekside, suddenly heard a low "honking" sound. Now, since any strange sound in the country is worth investigating, I followed this up and crossed a narrow creek, thanking my stars for some friendly reeds through which I pulled myself...to be, greeted on the other side by a whirl of great wings as up went a Japanese Buzzard with long half-feathered legs, leaving behind it a hen Pheasant lying in a little ditch soaked with water and mud. The bird was almost freshly killed and I could find no signs of blood, but the wet and muddy condition made it dificult to examine. Here was an interesting case: the Japanese Buzzard is also known as the Harrier Buzzard, but I have never yet heard that it could or would kill anything as large as a domestic fowl or Pheasant—for Buzzards usually live on small ground vermin: had the Buzzard killed this Pheasant, or had it taken it from some ground vermin (such as the Golden Weasel) which had dragged it into the ditch? I shall never know, but I am taking a guess that the Buzzard did it. But the final puzzle is this: does a Japanese Buzzard make a frog-like noise when dealing with its prey? I have certainly never heard of such a thing, but the fact remains there are no frogs about at this time of the year.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.