BIRDS OF PREY. 5 1 



markings, and it is, therefore, difficult to make any decided statements on these points. The male is 

 sometimes of an uniform brown, the tail alone being adorned with three large and several small 

 stripes ; the head is greyish blue ; sometimes, however, we find the upper parts of the body brown, 

 and the lower spotted more or less with white ; or the feathers on these portions white, with brown 

 spots and streaks upon the shafts. The young are usually brown or yellowish brown, the feathers 

 having dark shafts, except those on the nape, which are light. The eye is either golden, or of a 

 silvery whiteness ; the beak is black, the cere bright yellow, and the feet lemon colour. 



The Honey Buzzard inhabits all the southern and central countries of Southern Europe, and 

 during the course of its migrations frequently journeys as far as Western Africa. In disposition 

 it is cowardly, dull, and indolent ; its movements have been described in such contradictory terms, 

 that we can scarcely imagine them to be applied to the same species ; according, however, to our own 

 observations, its flight is light and beautiful, it can rise to a great height, and describes an endless 

 variety of evolutions in the air ; like most of its congeners, it runs well, and often pursues its prey 

 upon the ground. Its voice is monotonous, and its call-note sometimes prolonged for whole minutes 

 at a time. The food of this species differs from that of any other Bird of Prey, for it lives principally 

 upon wasp-grubs, very carefully avoiding such as are full-grown, and, therefore, protected by their 

 sting. It also devours beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, frogs, mice, and rats ; and will frequently 

 linger near a Hawk until the latter has finished its meal, in the hope of securing what is left. During 

 the summer it occasionally eats various kinds of berries. 



The eyrie is usually placed at no great height, upon the branches of some sturdy beech or oak ; 

 pines and fir-trees being but rarely resorted to. The nest, which the bird is at no pains to conceal, is 

 carelessly constructed of dry twigs, so lightly thrown together that the brood is often visible through 

 its walls. The eggs, from two to four in number, are sometimes round, sometimes oval ; the shell is 

 more or less smooth, and either yellowish red or brownish white, marbled with lines of different tints, 

 which, like the colour, are so very variable that any description of them would be useless. The 

 young are reared upon caterpillars, flies, and other insects, with which they are supplied from the 

 crops of the parent birds ; at a later period they are fed upon honeycombs, filled with bee-grubs, also 

 upon frogs, birds, and other substantial diet. 



Behrends relates the following facts to prove how tame the Honey Buzzard may become : " My 

 bird," he says, " before it had been many weeks in the house, learnt to attach itself not only to certain 

 individuals of the family, but to my dogs, towards one of the latter, in particular, it exhibited great 

 affection, following it about, and perching close to it whilst it slept. This bird was allowed to run at 

 large about the house, and never found a door standing open without calling loudly until it was shut. 

 It answered to the name of 'Jack,' but would only come at my call when hungry, or in a particularly 

 good humour. I have seen it spring on to a lady's lap or shoulder, and play with her hair by drawing 

 a lock through its beak, at the same time uttering a piping kind of ciy ; it would also raise its wing in 

 order to be scratched, a performance that it much enjoyed. When hungry it used to rush screaming 

 through the house until it found my maid, upon whose dress it clambered in its energetic endeavours 

 to have its wants attended to. If not immediately satisfied its cries became frightful, and it would 

 assume a very pugnacious attitude, as though it would say, ' You had better be careful how you trifle 

 with me.' Bread and milk was the diet it preferred, but it would eat meat, porridge, and potatoes ; 

 wasps it merely killed, without eating them. ' Jack ' was extremely susceptible to cold, and would 

 hide near the stove during the winter, remaining very quiet, as he knew well that his presence in our 

 sitting-room was against rules. His general demeanour somewhat resembled that of a Crow, his 

 movements were slow and deliberate, and it was only when alarmed or pursued that he sought safety 

 by taking a series of short jumps, I only succeeded in keeping him for three years." 



