PEBNIS. 



407 



black or blackish brown ; the narrow tip, a broad band 2 to 3 

 inches wide about the middle, and a narrower half-mch band just 

 beyond the coverts pale greyish brown. . , , . 



The ashy grey of the head is sometimes wanting, the brown ot 

 the upper surface is not always uniform, and the lower surface is 

 often lighter than the upper, and is in many birds spotted or trans- 

 versely banded with white ; the throat may be light brown mixed 

 with white, or mainly white, and is not unfrequently marked with 

 three blackish longitudinal stripes, generally united behind. 



In young birds the crown and nape are light rufous with dark 

 shaft-stripes and white bases, the latter usually conspicuous; 

 occasionally the whole head is white with blackish stripes ; the upper 

 parts are brown, the feathers more or less edged with white ; quills 

 and tail very irregularly mottled and barred with ashy brown ; 

 lower parts either pure white with or wdthout dark brown lon- 

 gitudinal stripes or drops, or pale or dark brown with blackish 

 shaft-stripes. The crest is generally well developed, but the crest- 

 feathers are only about 4 to ^ inch longer than the others 



" In most birds in a transition state the feathers of the lower 

 parts are banded brown and white, especially on the lower abdomen, 

 thigh-coverts, &c., and some of these feathers are generally to be 

 found at all ages " (Jerdon). , , , i 



Hume has pointed out that the adults may always be known by 

 the broad pale cross-band on the tail not being barred though it 

 may be mottled. t, , , t • , j 



Bill blackish, gape and base of lower mandible bluish ; cere deep 

 leaden colour ; iris golden yellow, brownish yellow, or red ; legs and 



feet yellow. ., , . „ . -.n -, j. o 



Len<^th of females about 27 inches ; tail lO-o ; wing 17-1; tarsus 2 ; 

 mid-toe without claw 24 ; bill from gape 1-7. Males run rather 

 smaller: length 25 inches, wing 16. Birds from Southern India, 

 Ceylon and Burma are smaller than those from Northern India. _ 



DistribiUion. Almost throughout India, Ceylon, and Burma, m 

 suitable places ; also in Siam, Cochin China, the Philippine Islands, 

 the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. This bird is only 

 found in 'the Himalayas below about 4000 feet, and it is in these 

 mountains rare to the eastward, though specimens were obtained 

 by Mandelh in Sikhim ; it occurs in the Punjab, but has not been 

 observed in Sind. It is most common in well-wooded and well- 

 watered tracts. It is partially at all events migratory m Cey on, 

 and probably in parts of India. It is rare in Tenasserim, but less 

 so in Pegu and Upper Burma. . 



Habits, 4x. The Crested Honey-Buzzard lives amongst trees and is 

 occasionally seen soaring above them. Its flight is direct and 

 hurried rather than quick, and it seldom flies far, except when soaring. 

 It feeds principally on the combs of bees,— eating honey, wax and 

 larvjB,— also on bees themselves, on other insects, on reptiles, 

 and it is said on the eggs and young of small birds. It is by na 

 means a shy bird, and is often found living and even breeding in 

 well-wooded gardens and in groves around houses. It breeds trom 

 April to July in Northern India, builds a nest of sticks thickly 



