PALCONID^ AOCIPITEE 347 



Iris bright yellow ; bill and cere black, yellowish at the gape ; 

 feet yellow ; claws black. 



Length 23-5 ; wing 16-25 ; tail 10-50 ; culmen 1-3 ; tarsus 2-05. 



This species undergoes a series of somewhat puzzling changes 

 of plumage, but can always be recognised by the little rounded scale- 

 like feathers on the side of the face in front of the eye. The head 

 of the adult male is ashy-grey, while in the female the grey is 

 usually limited to the lores. 



Distribution. — The Honey Buzzard breeds throughout the 

 greater part of Europe and north-western Asia, perhaps extending 

 to China and Japan. During October and again in May it crosses 

 the straits of Gibraltar in large numbers and spends the winter in 

 west Africa ; a few reach South Africa and Madagascar. In South 

 Africa it is one of our rarest migrants ; Levaillant obtained a 

 specimen in Namaqualand which he described under the name of the 

 " Tachard." Ayres got two in Natal, and one at Eustenburg in the 

 Transvaal on December 27th, 1882, the latter being now preserved 

 in the South African Museum. Eecently Mr. Marshall has related 

 how he found a specimen lying dead on the veld near Salisbury. 

 There is also an example shot near Durban preserved in the Museum 

 there. These are the only South African records so far as I am 

 aware. 



Habits. — No observations to speak of have been made on the 

 habits of the Honey Buzzard in South Africa, except that in the 

 stomachs of the individuals examined by Ayres and Marshall wasps 

 and crickets in the one case, locusts and a chameleon in the other, 

 were found. 



In Europe the nest, usually placed on the remains of the former 

 abode of some other large bird, and often on the main fork of an 

 oak or beech, is well lined and sometimes sheltered with fresh 

 twigs and leaves of the latter. The round and glossy eggs, generally 

 two in number, are laid in June, and are creamy-white blotched 

 and often suffused with rich brown or red. Both male and female 

 incubate. 



Genus XX. ACCIPITER. 



Type. 

 Accipiter, Bris. Orn. i, p. 310 (1760) A. nisus. 



Bill small but strong, edge of the upper mandible slightly 

 festooned ; nostrils oval without a central bony tubercle ; wings 

 comparatively short, extending about half way along the tail ; 



