HONEY BUZZARD. 83 



RAPTORES. FALCONIDJE. 



PLATE XVII. 



HONEY BUZZARD. 

 Pebnis Apivorus. (Cuvier.) 



The Honey Buzzard is of a more slender form than the 

 two preceding species, and the tail is longer in proportion 

 to its size, giving to its "whole appearance a much lighter 

 character. This species, which is now classed among the 

 genus Pernis of Cuvier, departs still more than the buzzards 

 from the characters attributed to the birds of prey. The beak 

 of the Honey Buzzard is weak and lengthened, the legs are 

 also rather slender, the toes and claws long, and the latter 

 but little hooked ; and the description of food sought by it is 

 in conformity with these deviations from the Raptorial cha- 

 racters, consisting chiefly of insects and their larvse. 



The Honey Buzzard is known in most parts of Europe and 

 Asia, with the exception of the colder regions of the North, to 

 which it is believed not to penetrate. It is spoken of as 

 inhabiting Norway and Sweden, Russia and Denmark, — we 

 conclude as a summer visiter, — in which case these and similar 

 latitudes in Asia must be the native regions of the greater 

 number of this species ; but on this subject most of the 

 authorities to which we have referred are silent : it is, however, 

 known to breed occasionally in the middle of the European 

 Continent, where it appears in April, and seldom is seen 

 later than September. Some uncertainty seems to prevail 



