252 



PERNIS. BEE-HAWK. 



Bill shorter than the head, somewhat broader than hi<,di at 

 the base, comj)ressed towards the end, strong : upper mandible 

 with the dorsal line eonvexo-declinate as far as the edge of 

 the large bare cere, then decurved in the third of a circle, the 

 ridge rather narrow, the sides convex, the edges soft at the 

 base, beyond the nostrils hard, direct, and sharp, with a very 

 slight festoon, the tip descending, slender, acute ; lower man- 

 dible with the angle of moderate length, broad, and rounded, 

 the back broad, the sides rounded, the edges thin, somewhat 

 inflected, the tip rounded but thin-edged ; the gape-line arcuate. 



Mouth rather wide ; upper mandible internally a little con- 

 cave, lower broadly channelled with a median prominent line ; 

 palate flat, with two longitudinal soft ridges. Tongue short, 

 deeply concave above, with the sides nearly parallel, the tip 

 rounded but emarginate, its free part horny beneath, its base 

 with a concave outline, and fringed with pointed papillae. The 

 other parts in the mouth as in the Buzzards and Kites. CEso- 

 phagus very wide, and about the middle dilated into a very 

 wide crop. At the upper part it has an outer layer of incon- 

 spicuous longitudinal fibres, and in its whole length is encircled 

 with slender fibres ; its inner coat is smooth, when dilated 

 even, and when contracted thrown into longitudinal rugae. 

 Proventricular glandules small, oblong, forming a complete 

 belt. Stomach large, roundish, its muscular coat very thin, 

 and in fasciculi.; its tendons rather large and roundish. Intes- 

 tine of moderate length, rather wide ; cloaca elliptical, very 

 large ; no coeca. 



Jiody rather elongated, moderately full ; neck rather short ; 

 head of moderate size, flattened above, ovate. Nostrils linear- 

 oblong, or narrow elliptical, oblique, lateral, about equally dis- 

 tant from the edges and ridge. Eyes rather large ; eyelids 

 closely covered with sniall compact feathers, and destitute of 

 ciliary bristles, but with the margins bare ; the superciliai-y pro- 



