178 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



tail darker brown, the sub-terminal one very broad ; head grey, 

 this colour extending on to the sides of the neck ; under surface 

 of body white, narrowly streaked with brown, these streaks 

 widening out into a spade-shaped spot on the sides of the 

 breast ; flanks and abdomen also spotted with brown ; under 

 wing-coverts also brown, the inner ones and the axillaries white, 

 with a few brown spots or bars' the lower series white with 

 broad blackish bars ; cere grey ; bill black ; iris straw-colour. 

 Total length, 25*5 inches; culmen, 1*4; wing, 17*2; tail, n*o; 

 tarsus, 2-0. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length, 

 23 inches; wing, i6'6. 



Young Bird. Distinguished by its brown head and face, and 

 by the markings on the tail, which, besides the two brown 

 bands (one median and one sub-terminal), has the basal part 

 varied with six or seven broken bars or mottlings. The 

 under surface of the body is dull rufous-brown, with very dis- 

 tinct black shaft-stripes, the under tail-coverts and some of the 

 breast-feathers paler and more buff at their bases ; the head 

 and hind-neck spotted with buff, the feathers having their 

 points of this colour ; forehead and eyebrow white, and the 

 wing-coverts also tipped with white. 



As the young birds progress to maturity the under surface 

 becomes barred with white. 



Melanism. The Honey-Kite, both in its young and adult 

 plumage, is very subject to melanism, and examples are often 

 shot which are entirely brownish-black. 



Range in Great Britain. The present species used to breed in 

 many parts of England, arriving in early summer to nest in 

 the wooded districts, but the beauty of its eggs and the rarity 

 of the bird have caused its destruction in this country, and of 

 late years I have not heard of any being taken in the New 

 Forest, which may be regarded as the last stronghold of the 

 Honey-Kite in England. In Ireland it appears to be a very 

 rare visitor, and the same may be said of Scotland, in parts of 

 which the species used to breed. In autumn a few examples 

 are procured at the time of the southward migration, and it has 

 been stated to occur in winter occasionally. 



