259 



PERNIS APJVORUS. 



THE BEE-HAWK, OR HONEY-BUZZARD. 



Of the male the head to beyond the eyes, and the 

 cheeks, grey, the upper parts deep umber brown,v the 

 throat white, with longitudinal dark lines, the rest of 

 the lower parts white, with broad bands and spots of 

 brown, the tail with two basal and a broader subtermi- 

 nal band of brownish-black, its tip brownish-white ; 

 length about twenty-four inches. Of the female the 

 forehead bluish-grey, the upper parts deep umber- 

 brown, the lower pale yellowish-red, with large red- 

 dish-brown spots ; length about twenty- six inches. The 

 young with the liead white, spotted with brown, the 

 upper parts deep brown, the feathers broadly edged 

 with yellowisli brown, the lower parts light yellowish- 

 red, spotted with brown. 



Male. — The Bee-eating Peruis, or Honey Buzzard, 

 is a bird of very elegant form, remarkable among our 

 rapacious species for its comparatively small head, short 

 legs, rather slender body, and long wings and tail, in 

 which circumstances it approaches to the kite. Of the 

 bill, which has been described in the generic character, 

 it is only necessary to mention, that, although smaller 

 than that of the buzzards, and much less robust than 

 that of the falcons, it is by no means feeble, as repre- 

 sented by many persons. The eyes are large, the eye- 

 lids densely feathered, with papillate margins, destitute 

 of ciliary bristles. The head is flattish above, broad 



