THE HONEY BUZZARD 145 



or twigs with the leaves upon them. This lining 

 seems to be renewed from time to time as incuba- 

 tion proceeds. The eggs are usually two in number, 

 but three and even four have been recorded. They 

 are very beautiful objects, almost round, cream or 

 pale red in ground colour, blotched and spotted 

 with rich brown, often so thickly as to hide all 

 trace of the paler ground. But one brood is reared 

 in the season, and both parents assist in the task 

 of incubation. 



We are not aware that the Honey Buzzard is 

 at all gregarious during the breeding season, 

 although the bird migrates towards its nesting- 

 grounds in flocks, and returns in the same way 

 — a habit indulged in by several other raptorial 

 species. 



The Honey Buzzard may be readily distinguished 

 by its densely feathered lores and its finely 

 reticulated tarsi. The adult male has the head 

 ash grey, the remainder of the upper parts brown ; 

 the under parts are nearly uniform white, with a 

 few brownish bars on the chest and flanks; the 

 tail is pale brown, crossed with three nearly black 

 bars. A melanistic form of this bird is known 

 with the under parts dark brown. The female 

 resembles the male in colour, but wants the grey 



