FALCONING. PERNIS. 45 



robust ; tarsi very short, strong, roundish, feathered half- 

 way in front, then covered with large hexagonal scales ; toes 

 of moderate length, strong, the first stoutest, the fourth most 

 slender, and connected with the third by a basal web, all 

 scutellate at the end, and covered beneath with roundish, 

 hard papillae ; claws long, arcuate, rather slender, concave 

 beneath, acute, those of the first and second toes nearly equal 

 and strongest, the third longest. Plumage compact, soft ; 

 feathers on the fore part of the head, cheeks, loral space, 

 and chin, very small, ovate-oblong, obtuse, compact ; wings 

 very long, broad, rounded, with the third quill longest, the 

 outer five quills abruptly cut out on the inner web' ; tail long, 

 broad, even or slightly emarginate. 



This genus, of which the species are not numerous, and 

 only one British, is distinguished from all others by the 

 imbricated, squamiform feathers on the parts about the base 

 of the bill. It seems closely allied to Milvus, Buteo, and 

 Pandion. 



7. PERNIS APIVORA. BROWN BEE-HAWK. 



Tail with four broad and numerous small dusky bands ; 

 wings with two similar bands. Adult male with the anterior 

 part of the head brownish-grey, the upper parts deep brown, 

 the throat white, with longitudinal dark lines, the rest of the 

 lower parts white, with broad bands and spots of brown. 

 Young male with the head brown, anteriorly tinged with 

 grey, the upper parts deep brown, the throat light reddish, 

 with longitudinal dark lines, the rest of the lower parts deep 

 brown, with darker longitudinal lines. Female with the 

 forehead bluish-grey, the upper parts deep brown, the lower 

 pale yellowish-red, with large reddish-brown spots. Young 

 with the head white, spotted with brown, the upper parts 

 deep brown, the feathers broadly edged with light red, the 

 lower parts light yellowish-red, spotted with brown. 



Male, 244, 52, 16f, 1 T V, 1&, 1 T 9 ^ 1 T V 



Only five individuals recorded as killed in Scotland, one in 

 Braemar, one at Dunkeld, one near Stirling, one at Chatelhe- 

 rault in the parish of Hamilton, the other at Drumlanrig in 

 Dumfriesshire. It becomes more frequent as we advance south- 

 ward, but is still of rare occurrence, and appears to be a sum- 

 mer visitant, all the specimens whose dates of capture or 

 death are recorded, having been obtained at that season or in 



