THE EAGLE-LIKE SUBFAMILY 



tion, some individuals being light fulvous, while others are nearly black. A third 

 species (P. celebensis) inhabits Celebes. The honey buzzard derives its name from 

 its habit of feeding on the larvae of bees and wasps, digging out the combs with its 

 claws, and tearing them to pieces. It will, however, also eat adult insects of various 

 kinds, together with worms, slugs, the eggs of birds, moles, and even grain. It 

 may be taken in traps baited with wasp or bee comb, and in captivity has been 

 known to kill and eat rats, as well as comparatively large birds. The nest is said to 

 be generally placed at a considerable height from the ground in some tall oak, and 

 is composed of lichen-clad sticks, lined with wool and the leaves of the oak 





HONEY BUZZARDS. ' 

 (One-fifth natural size.) 



and beech. . . Professor Newton was informed by Mr. Newcome that in 

 France the honey buzzard surrounds the nest, after the young are hatched, with a 

 barrier of leafy boughs, which are renewed from time to time as the foliage withers, 

 but whether this was to prevent the young from falling out, or to act as a screen, 

 was not ascertained. The eggs are not more than three in number, and usually 

 have a buffish- white ground color upon which are dark blotches. 



A much smaller bird than the last is the black-winged kite (Elanus 

 Black- Winged 7 . _ f ^ i A 1 



K cesruleus) , which is one of the best-known representatives of a small 



genus widely distributed over both hemispheres. Agreeing with the 

 honey buzzards in their nearly even or slightly emarginate tails, the hawks of 



