154 



THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



with a median prominent line. Tongue deeply concave above, with the sides 

 nearly parallel, the tip rounded but emarginate. The legs are short ; the tarsus 

 anteriorly covered with feathers half way down, on the rest of its extent with an- 

 ^TQlar scales. The toes are of moderate size ; the first stouter, the second next, the 

 fourth least so ; the first with four large scales above, the second with three, the third 

 with four, the fourth with three. Ths claws are long, rather slender, tapering, arcu- 

 ate ; the first and second strongest, the third lonj^est, with a thin inner edge, the se- 

 cond next in length, the fourth smallest. 



The plumage is compact. The fi'athers on the fore part of the head and cheeks are 

 ovate, compact, and small, especially on the loral space and around the eye. The 

 feathers in general are ovate, curved, with a large downy plumule. On the lower 

 parts they are nearly as compact as on the upper. The wings are long, very broad, 

 and extend to. two inches and a half from the end of tlie tail. There are twenty-three 

 quills ; the outer six are separated at the end when the wing is extended, and have 

 the inner web cut out towards the end ; all the rest are broad and rounded, v\ith a 

 minute tip. The tail is long, a little emarginate and rounded at the end, the feathers 

 broad. The first quill is short, being two and seven-twelfths inches shorter than the 

 second, which is eleven lines shorter than the third, this latter bemg the longest; the 

 fourth is only a line shorter, and the other primaries gradually diminish. The 

 middle tail feathers are three lines shorter than the third, which exceeds the lateral 

 by ten-twelfths. 



The cere is pale yellow at the base, but dusky in the greater part of its extent. 

 The bill is black ; the base of the lov/er mandible flesh-coloured; as is the mouth 

 internally, excepting the mandibles and the horny part on the back of the tongue, 

 which are black. The margins of the eyelids are also black, the iris yellow, the tarsi 

 and toes orange, the claws black. The loral space and anterior part of the forehead 

 are brownish-grey ; the head roddish-brown ; the rest of the upper parts umber-brown. 

 The feathers generally are darker on the shaft and towards the end. The primary 

 coverts and primary quills are blackish-brown at the end, and in the rest of their ex- 

 tent have generally on both webs three bands of dark-brovrn on a lighter ground ; the 

 -inner webs white, except at the end, where they are light-brown mottled with darker. 

 The outer quill has, however, only a single dark band, reduced to two spots, the se- 

 cond and third two bands, also reduced to spots ; on the secondaries the dark bands 

 are reduced to two, and gradually approximate inwards. The tips of the tail-feathers 

 are brownish -white ; there is then a broad band of brownish-black, and a dusky space 

 with seven indistinct darker bands, between which and the base are three large black- 

 ish bands ; the upper tail-coverts are light umber. The throat is light reddish-brown ; 

 the rest of the lower parts umber, each feather with the shaft and a portion near it 

 dusky. The feathers of the legs are lighter, as are the lower tail-coverts, which have 

 two bands of white towards the base. The concealed and downy part of the whole 

 plumage is white, that colour appearing externally on the hind neck and head when 

 the feathers are raised, as it there extends over more than half their length. The 

 lower wing-coverts are umber brown. 



Length to end of tail tw^enty-four and one-fourth inches ; extent of wings fifty-two ; 

 wing from flexure sixteen and three-fuurths ; tail eleven and one-half; bill along the 

 ridge one and four-twelfths ; tarsus one and eleven-twelfths ; first toe elevwi-twelfths, 

 its claw one ; third toe one and nine-twelfths, its claw one and three-twelfths. 



This species was formerly refeiTed to the genus ButeOy but has recently been con- 

 sidered as, with some others, constituting a distinct genus, to which the name of 

 Periiis was given by Cuvier. In some respects, Pernis is more nearly allied to Mil- 

 vus than to Bitteo, especially in the shortness and thickness of the tarsi, the slender mo- 

 derately curved claws, the very long wings and tail. Pcrids apivorns is in tact in- 

 termediate between Butco vulgaris and Milvus regalia, and its habits are in corre- 

 spondence with this circumstance, for both the birds mentioned are insectivorous, and 

 I have found even earth-worms in the stomach of our Common Buzzard. Ttie Honey 

 Pern, although* fond of the larvte of Bees and Wasps, cannot live exclusively 

 un them ; but as yet, from its very i-are occurrence in this country, little is known of 

 its habits. The individual above described was shot in the county of Stirling, and 

 affords the third .Tuthentic instance of the occurrence of the species in Scotland. 



b 



The digestive organs were in all respects similar to those of the Common Buzzard 

 and Kite. The oesophagus, a, 6, which is very wide, has a large dilatation or crop 

 in front; the proventriculus, c, is furnished with a belt of cylindrical glandules ; the 

 stomach, rf, e, is large, roundish; its muscular coat very thin, and composed of fasci- 

 culi of fibres, without distinction of lateral muscles ; the tendons rather large and 

 roundish. The intestine, /, ^, 22 inches long, the duodenal portion only 3^, 

 and the biliary ducts entering at the distance of 3 inches from the pylorus ; the dia- 

 meter varies from five-twelfths to two-twelfths; there are no ccecal appehdag.?s ; and 



the cloaca is 2 inches long, and of an elliptical form. The stomach was filled with 

 fragments of bees and numerous larv33, among which no honey or wax was found. 



** Besides various specimens obtained in Sufi'olk, Norfolk, and along the eastern 

 coast as far north as Nurthumberland, the Honey Buzzard," says Mr YarnU, '* has 

 been killed in several western counties, includ.ng Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and Wor- 

 cestersiiire. Dr Heysham considered it very rare in Cumberland, and had only mc-t 

 with one specimen. Mr Thomson of Belfast has recorded one example killed in the 

 north of Ireland. According to Linnrous, Brunnlch, MuUer, and Pennant, the Ho- 

 ney Buzzard inhabits Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. From thence south- 

 ward, it is found in Germany, France, Italy, and the south of Europe generally. M. 

 Temminck considers it very rare it Holland. It is said to be a native of Eastern 

 climes; and Mr Gould states that he has seen it in collections of skins from India. 



BOTANY. 



Scottish Oaks Although the Oak docs not attain in Scotland dimensions equal 



to those of English trees of the species, and in the native forests of that country is 

 generally of diminutive size, yet many individuals have been marked as entitled to 

 some consideration. Of these the following list is presented in Mr Loudon's splendid 

 Arboretum Britannicum, recently published. In the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, 

 there is an oak in Dalmeny Park 70 feet high, with a trunk 13 feet 9 inches in cir- 

 cumference, diameter of the head 96 feet ; another oak, 70 feet high, has a trunk 

 only 6 feet 5 inches in ciri'umference. but carries nearly that thickness to the hei'^ht 

 of 30 feet before it throws out branches. At Barnton Hall is an oak 80 feet high, 

 with a trunk 11 feet in circumference, and a head 82 feet in diameter ; the trunk is^ 

 sound, and without branches to the height of 20 feet, but the head is stag-horned 

 and much decayed. At Hopetoun House is a growing tree 75 feet high, with a trunk 



11 feet in circumference. At Melville Castle is an oak 70 feet high, with a trunk 

 18 feet in girt, at 4 feet from the ground, and a head 90 feet in diameter. S juth 

 of Edinburgh. In Ayrshire, at Kilkerran, is an oak 50 feet high; the girt of the 

 trunk is 12 feet 6 inches, and the diameter of the head is 90 feet. In Haddington- 

 shire, at Yester, is an oak 89 feet high, with a trunk 12 feet in girt, and a head 70 

 feet in diameter. In Lanarkshire, at Bothwell Castle, is an oak 59 feet high, with 

 a trunk 14 feet in circumference, and a head 98 feet in diameter, in Roxburgh- 

 shire, at Minto, are several oaks about 200 years old, which are 70 ieet hioh, the 

 girt of the trunk about 12 feet, and the diameter of the head G3 feet. North of 

 Edinburgh. In Aberdeenshire, at Fmtray House, are four oaks with trunks varving 

 from 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 10 inches in circumference. The oak does not ripen 

 its acorns, and rarely its young wood, in this county. In Banffshire, at Gordon 

 Castle, is an oak 66 feet high, with a trunk about 10 feet in girt, and a head 66 feet 

 in diameter. In Cromarty, at Coul, there is an oak 162 years old, vhich is 80 feet 

 high, the circumference of the trunk 12 feet, and diameter of the head 60 feet. In 

 Fifeshire, at Donibrisfle Park, is one 70 feet high, with a trunk about 11 feet in 

 girt, and 40 feet clear of branches, diameter of the- head 45 feet. At Largo is an 

 oak 100 feet high, with a trunk 9 feet C inches in circumference, and 35 feet clear of 

 branches, and a bead 53 feet in diameter. In Forfarshire there is an oak on the estate 

 of Lord Gray, at Gray House; which was 68 feet high, the circumference of the trunk 

 17 teet 6 inches, and the diameter of the head 90 feet, when it was measured in 

 June 1836, by Mr Robertson, his lordship's gardener. The same oak, when measured 

 in 1821, was, we are informed by Mr Robertson, then only 16 feet in circumference, 

 and consequently it has gained 18 inches since that period. It is Qiiercus peduncu^ 

 lata, and is ii^ great health and vigour. In Perthshire, at Taymouth, is a gi owing 

 oak 45 feet high, with a trunk 14 feet in girt, and a head 72 feet in diameter. The . 

 tree stands in the park in a loamy soil, on a dry subsoil, and is about 100 years old. 

 In Russ-shire, at Brahan Castle, is an old oak SO feet high, with a long straight trunk 



12 feet in circumference, and a head 90 feet in diameter. In Stirlingshire, at Blair- 

 Drummond, is a growing oak 120 years old, 86 feet high, with a trunk 20 feet in 

 the bole, and 14 feet in circumference, diameter of the head 60 feet. There are 

 many fine oaks at Blair- Drummond from 15 feet to 50 feet in the bole, but no other 

 is quite so much in circumference. In Callender Paik, Q. sessiliflora is 60 feet 

 hi£:;h, the circumference of the trunk 15 feet 6 inches, and diameter of the head 58 

 feet. In Sutherland, at Dunrobin Castle, is an oak 10 feet high, the diameter of the 

 head 47 feet, and the girt of the trunk about II feet. 



Destruction of Mosses in Pastures. — Mr Thomas Bishop, Methven Castle, 

 has recently made experiments \\\X\x the view of ascertaining the best method of de- 

 stroying mosses growing in pasture land. The results of these experiments are com- 

 municated in the last number of the Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society of Scotland. " The growth of musci will always be found rapidly to take 

 place w'hen rye-grasses are the only grass seeds sown, excepting on the very best land, 

 as it is not the nature of that kind of grass to form a close sward. Tbc production 

 of them is also much encouraged in older pastures, by eating the grass ton bare in 

 Auii-ust, and the early part of September, as also by taking a crop of meadow-hay 

 where the ground is not much trodden upon, or has been under water in irrigation or 

 otherwise. With the view to destroy muscl and invigorate the better grasses, top- 

 dressings have been used and found very expensive, and their effects as evanescent. Ex- 

 periments have beenmadehere for that purpose with bone-dust, put on in spring, at twen- 

 ty bushels per acre, price 2s. 6d. per bushel. Lime and soot to the same amount of 

 cost. Common salt was also tried to a fifth part of less expense, and found very effi- 

 cient, although fears were entertained, for a time, that the grass would sufl'er. The 

 soot in the following season Rave evident indications of its tendency to extirpate the 

 musci, but not so powerfully as the salt ; the lime and bone-dust used had little or 

 no effect. Liquid manure collected in a tank, under cover, from the feeding and cow- 

 byres, and washings of the dung-yard, have also been used, but not for the length of 

 time to warrant a decisive opinion of Us tendency to destroy musci, althouj^h their 

 beneficial ef[■L■c^s on grass land is unquestionable. The last and most eflicient remrdy 

 for the prevention and destruction of musci, and easiest to have recourse to, ^^hen the 

 <^round has not become altogether exhausted, or in an over damp state, is to allow a 



