HONEY-BUZZARD 371 



date at Harkness, Yorkshire, and a couple of young birds near 

 Hereford in i2>77. At a considerably earlier date eggs are reported 

 to have been taken in Aberdeenshire, where, as well as in Forfarshire, 

 the species was recorded in 1903. On the other hand, there does 

 not appear to be any evidence that the species has ever bred in 

 Ireland, to the eastern side of which it seems never to have been more 

 than an extremely rare visitor, while to the western counties it is totally 

 unknown. Indeed, the total number of Irish examples recorded up to 

 the year 1900 is only eight, and one of these does not seem to have 

 been identified with absolute certainty. The British Museum possesses 

 eggs of this species from six different clutches of English origin, four 

 of these being from the New Forest. The dates when three of these 

 were taken range between the 14th and the 24th of June. It may 

 be added that the honey-buzzard has been observed wintering on the 

 south-eastern side of the Black Sea, 



As might be expected from the nature of their food, both species 

 of honey-buzzard are to a great extent ground-birds. Indeed, their 

 ordinary flight is short, low, and hurried, although from time to time 

 they indulge in soaring flights above the tops of the trees of the forests 

 which form their usual resorts. On the ground they run with con- 

 siderable speed and activity ; and in tearing open the nests of bees 

 and wasps for the sake of their contents employ both beak and talons. 

 The whole comb, inclusive of wax, honey, and grubs, is devoured ; 

 and in addition to this the adult bees and wasps, as well as other 

 insects, lizards, worms, slugs, field-mice, and small birds, are stated to 

 be consumed. Moreover, in autumn, when animal food is apt to run 

 short, the honey-buzzard is reported to be by no means opposed to a 

 meal of berries or other small-sized fruits. Like many others of their 

 tribe, these birds are averse to expending more time and trouble on 

 the work of nest-building than is absolutely necessary, and accordingly 

 in most cases make use of the last year's nursery of some other bird, 

 such as a crow, doing, however, a certain amount of repairs to the 

 structure. In Great Britain the eggs are usually laid in June. As a 

 rule these are two in number, but occasionally there is only one, while 

 still more rarely the clutch may be increased to three or even four. 

 Varying in length from a trifle less to somewhat more than a couple of 

 inches, with a breadth of from rather more than i|- to i|- inches, the 

 eggs are blotched and clouded, as a rule, with two shades of mahogany- 

 red and deep chestnut on a huffish ground in a manner which renders 

 them some of the most admired treasures of the collector's cabinet : 

 and there can be little doubt that the extreme beauty of its eggs 



