172 HONEY-BUZZARD. 



on the ground near several wasps' nests, and \vho, 

 on dissecting it, found both in its craw and stomach, 

 a quantity of wasps and their grubs, with a few 

 small beetles. As nobody has had the good fortune 

 to see one of these birds in the act of feeding, it is 

 impossible to ascertain how it makes its way without 

 being injured, into the interior of the wasps' nest, 

 which it must do, in order to get at the grubs which 

 are concealed in the very middle of the combs. 

 The head and throat are surrounded with a clothing 

 of remarkably thick, and rather stiff feathers, which 

 may probably be intended as a protection. From 

 the date, named, October 12, when this bird was 

 shot, it might be imagined that it attacked those 

 nests only which had been partly destroyed, or 

 deserted by the wasps, which so late in the season 

 were beginning to get feeble; but this is not correct, 

 as they have been seen just as busy about hives 

 and wasps' nests, in the breeding-season, when these 

 insects are in full strength and vigour. How the 

 Hawk contrives to make his way into the comb is 

 also difficult to understand, though as the legs and 

 claws of this bird were very dirty even to the knee, 

 he most probably uses them as fowls do in dung- 

 hills, to scratch away the soil. 



Bold, and apparently savage and cruel as is the 

 disposition of the Hawk tribe, occasional instances 

 are to be found of their manifesting something like 

 kindness and good-will towards birds, where such a 

 disposition might be little expected. Even the 

 >Sj>nrrow-hawk, which by some has been considered 

 of so savage and wild a nature, as to render all 

 means for taming it hopeless, has, nevertheless, in 



