110 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



young of bees and wasps, but it will also eat caterpillars, ants, 

 and any other insects, and occasionally rats and reptiles, and, it 

 is said by the natives, the eggs and young of other birds. The 

 European species has been seen near ponds in search of dragon- 

 flies and other aquatic insects. Its thickly-feathered lores must 

 be a great defence against the stings of wasps and bees when their 

 nest is being plundered. Burgess mentions his having been told 

 by some natives that when about to feed on a comb, these birds 

 spread their tail, and with it drive off the bees before attacking it. 

 I have two or three times seen them find a honey-comb and 

 attack it, but in these cases they certamly despised those 

 introductory ceremonies. 



The fliglit of the honey buzzard is in general very direct, and 

 not very rapid, and it does not usually take long flights. I 

 have seen it on one occasion flying more rapidly than usual over 

 a wood, every now and then attempting to hover, which, however, 

 it did in a very clumsy manner, with its wings much turned 

 upwards. It breeds on trees. The egg of one I obtained, ready 

 for expulsion, was white, with very numerous rusty red spots. 



This and the European honey buzzard appear to be the 

 only representatives of the genus. Lesson describes two or three 

 other species, but they are probably all phases of plumage of our 

 Indian bird. 



Gen. Baza, Hodgson, 



Syn. Lophotes, Lesson. — Lepidogeni/s, Gray. Hi/ptiopus, Hadgs. 



Char. — Bill small, deep, broadish at the base, moderately hooked 

 at tip, grooved on the sides, upper mandible with two sharp teeth 

 on each side, near the tip ; lower mandible with three or four 

 small teeth ; orbits and lores thickly feathered ; nostrils transverse, 

 very narrow ; wings moderate, the 3rd quill longest, the first three 

 slio'htly emarginate towards the tip ; the tail square, rather short ; 

 tarsus short, thick, plumed above, with smooth hexagonal reticulat- 

 ed scales below ; the toes rather short, with strong scuta above ; 

 the laterals nearly equal, or the outer rather shorter if anything ; 

 both toes slightly joined to the middle toe ; talons small, almost 

 subequal, tolerably curved ; head crested ; size small. 



