96 FALCONIDA. 
spring on its passage northwards. Dr. Ruppel says it is 
found in Egypt; and Mr. Gould and Mr. Blyth include 
it in their notices of the Birds of India. 
The figure and description here given were taken from a 
specimen in the British Museum, which was killed near 
York.. Honey Buzzards measure from twenty-two to 
twenty-five inches, depending on the sex. The beak is 
black ; the cere grey, the irides yellow ; the space between 
the beak and the eye covered with feathers, small, round, 
and closely set ; the upper part of the head and back of 
the neck buffy white, with brown streaks; upper surface 
of the body and wings uniform brown colour; the pri- 
maries nearly black, the third and fourth feathers the 
longest and equal: the tail long; the upper surface of 
the tail-feathers barred transversely with two shades of 
brown: the front of the neck, breast, and belly, pale 
yellow brown ; the shaft and middle line of each feather 
marked by a dark brown longitudinal streak or patch, 
those of the belly transversely barred: thighs and under 
tail-coverts varied with yellowish brown and white; the 
tarsi feathered half-way down, the lower portion reticu- 
lated and yellow; the toes yellow; the claws black, 
rather long, slender, and not much curved. 
This species, like the other Buzzards, occasionally pre- 
sents some variety in colour and markings. Those speci- 
mens which have the head of a uniform ash grey have been 
called the Capped Buzzard. A series of figures of the 
Honey Buzzard in various states of plumage are inserted 
in the Zoologist, vol. i. pages 376 and 377, from the draw- 
ings of William R. Fisher, Esq. of Yarmouth. The 
youngest birds are the darkest in colour on the body. 
