Notes on the Honey Buzzard, 539 



emitted a lengthened very plaintive cry, particularly when in 

 want of food : it was by no means, however, so quick in 

 recognising its feeder as the kite was. It devoured insects 

 of every description, which it would take readily from the 

 hand ; and, contrary to the usual habit of birds of this family, 

 would commonly seize its food with the bill rather than its talons: 

 this it always took to the ground to consume, where it passed 

 much of its time; and it invariably tore its prey into very 

 small pieces, never bolting it in large masses, as the kite did. 

 It would kill a rat, by adroitly seizing it by the back of the 

 neck, fixing its talons in it simultaneously ; and it murdered 

 one of a pair of Noctua nudipes, which had long resided in 

 an adjoining compartment of the same prison, and that occa- 

 sionally used to fly up and cling to the bars which separated 

 it from the pern. The latter, seizing his opportunity, contrived 

 to pull it through, and devoured it. A bird of this species, 

 described by the Hon. H. T. Liddell, in the Transactions of 

 the Natural History Society of Northumberland, was shot 

 while in pursuit of a wood-pigeon. 



It is usually considered a very rare species, though, in the 

 neighbourhood of extensive beech woods, it would seem to be 

 far from being so. In Burnham Beeches, near Windsor, 

 Mr. Gould informs me they annually breed, and that he has 

 seen the egg from that locality. Stuffed specimens are not at 

 all unfrequent in the taverns and places about the vicinity. 

 Gilbert White mentions its nestling in the beech hanger at 

 Sel borne ; and Willughby even considered it pretty frequent 

 in England. It is undoubtedly, however, a very local species 

 till after the breeding season, when they would appear to be 

 rather disposed to ramble, as specimens have then been met 

 with in various parts of the country, though chiefly, as re- 

 marked by Mr. Yarrell, along the eastern coast, from Suffolk 

 to Northumberland ; which renders it probable that these had 

 wandered from the Continent. A very young male, with its 

 primaries not full grown, and which, therefore, could not long 

 have left the nest, was sent to Dr. Leach from Cornwall, 

 and is now in the national collection. This bird, it may be re- 

 marked, has all its markings considerably less distinct than 

 the specimen, in a corresponding state of plumage, which I have 

 described. 



M. Vieillot, as quoted by Mr. Yarrell, relates of this species, 

 that it seldom flies, except from one tree to another, or from 

 bush to bush, and then always low ; and that it runs when on 

 the ground with great rapidity, like our common fowls ; a cir- 

 cumstance which is also noticed by Willughby. And the 

 captive individual of which I have spoken, when allowed its 



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