536 Notes on the Honey Buzzard. 



when most of the stores which nature has still in reserve 

 shall have been accumulated ; and, till then, any labour di- 

 rected otherwise than to that end will, in all likelihood, only 

 prove labour lost. For the reception of this South African 

 bird, I would, then, propose the 



Subgenus PHILETArRUS. 

 Bill rather long, and pointed, higher than broad, and entering between 

 the feathers of the forehead ; culmen rounded and curved ; commissure 

 sinuated ; edges of mandibles slightly inflexed; nostrils near base of 

 upper mandible, round, and behind edged with feathers ; a few short rigid 

 bristles at angles of mouth. Wings moderate ; when closed, covering half 

 the tail ; three outermost quill-feathers nearly of equal length, and the 

 longest. Tail rounded. Legs strong, scutellated in front; middle toe 

 considerably longer than the lateral ones, which are nearly of equal length, 

 and shorter than the hinder one. Claws strong, compressed, curved, and 

 pointed. 



Philetai'rus le'pidus. (Ploceus sdcius Cuvier, Euplectes lepidus 

 Swainson.} 



Male. The upper parts of the head and the back drab brown ; the sides 

 of the neck, the interscapulars, and a longitudinal stripe in front of each leg 

 at base, black or black brown ; the feathers margined with Isabella ; chin, 

 and a stripe between it and anterior angle of each eye, pure black ; sides of 

 head and under parts of body, Isabella ; quill and tail feathers dark brown ; 

 the latter, towards tips, of an Isabella tint : bill a pale horn-colour, inclining 

 to bluish white towards point. Length, from shoulder to tip of wings, 

 2" 10"'; tail, 1" 10'" ; tarsus, 10'"; bill, 8'". Total length of bird, 5 in. 



Female. No black on the chin or at the base of mandibles ; in other re- 

 spects, resembles the male. 



Inhabits the interior of southern Africa, and is generally 

 found in dry arid situations. A great many individuals are 

 usually found associated together; and under one common 

 roof they build their nests, which in some cases form such 

 large and weighty masses as to break the strong branches of 

 large and lofty trees, upon which they usually place them. 

 In its manners, it resembles the Pyrgitae, and still more, 

 perhaps, the Plocepasser, a small African group, first indicated 

 by me in June, 1836. 



Art. VI. Notes on the Pern, or Honey Buzzard. 

 By Edward Blyth, Esq. 



After the admirable and detailed description which" Mr. 

 Yarrell has collated of that curious and interesting bird, the 

 Pernis apivorus, and the attention which Mr. Macgillivray has 

 bestowed upon it, in common with the rest of its tribe, in his 

 laboured work on the raptorial birds of Britain, it would seem 

 almost a hopeless task to endeavour to throw further light 

 upon the species. Whilst every writer, however, who has 



