126 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



Observations. — Few birds show such diversity ia the coloration and 

 marking of their plumage as the present species ; these differences are 

 apj)arently not solely due to sex, age and season, but also to individual 

 variation. The dark brown dress, with white spotted underparts, seems 

 to be the plumage most often met with ; the adult male garb described 

 above, is less often noticed ; while the most uncommon of all appears 

 to be the uniform deep chocolate, or blackish phase of plumage, without 

 a speck of white. I have in my collection one example of the latter 

 type, which shows a slight ashy-blue tinge on the cheeks, and this feature 

 leads me to think that this very dark attire belongs to the adult, and not 

 to the young bird. 



The ari-angement or pattern of the bars on the tail appears to be 

 constant throughout all stages of plumage, and is a characteristic of the 

 species. 



The Honej'-Buzzard occurs in Tunisia as a summer migrant, 

 being occasionally observed during the spring passage in certain 

 numbers, although rarely in the large flocks, in which it is to be 

 found sometimes in some parts of Southern Italy and Spain. One 

 of the more tardy migrants, the species is not often seen before May, 

 and stragglers may even be found migrating at the end of that month 

 and early in June. The return passage, which is effected between 

 the end of August and the end of September, is far less conspicuous 

 than the vernal migration. 



In Algeria, according to Loche, the Honey-Buzzard is rare, but 

 in Marocco it appears to be observed in considerable numbers on 

 migration, both in spring and autumn. 



In Sicily, where large flocks of Honey-Buzzards may be seen in 

 spring, the arrival of the " Lavornie," as these birds are called by 

 the Sicilians, is considered to portend the imminent close of the 

 passage of Quails, and their advent is therefore looked upon by the 

 local "cacciatori" with anything but delight. In Calabria, on the 

 contrary, the native gunners bail the appearance of the Honey- 

 Buzzards with pleasure, and on days when the wind is favourable 

 for the passage of the birds, every man or youth who possesses a gun 

 will sally forth to the rocks and heights overlooking the sea-coast, 

 there to await the arrival of the expected visitors. So numerous are 

 the birds at times, that a good shot will bring home a score or more 

 of them. These he distributes among his relations and friends, the 

 flesh of the Honey-Buzzard being considered by the " Calabresi " 

 excellent eating. Curiously enough, though so abundant in some 



