HONEY BUZZARD. 257 



No. 68. — Pernis apivorus, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 52. — Vigors, Zool. Journ.p. 340. — 

 Falco Poliorinchos, Bechst. Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 19. — Buse Bondree, Tenem. 

 Man. d'Orn. 1. p. 67. 2d. edit.— La Bondree, Buff. Ois. 1. p. 208.— Ib. pi. Enl. 

 420. a yearling bird. — Wespen Busard, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 39. — 76. 

 Vbg. Liv. und Esthl. p. 12.— Honey Buzzard, Br. Zool. 1. No. 56.— Ib. fo\. 67. 

 t. A. 4. and A. 4.— Arct. Zool. 2. p. 224. 1.— -Will. (Angl.) p. 72.— Lewin's 

 Br. Birds, 1. t. 1.— Lath. Syn. 1. p. 52— Supp. p. 14.— Albin, 1. t. 2.— Mont. 

 Orn. Diet. & Supp.— Pult. Cat. Dorset.— Wale. Syn. 1. t. 7.— Bewick's Br. 

 Birds, 1. p. 17.— W^e's Hist. Selb. 1. t. 7.— Shaw's Zool. 7. p. 114.— Selby, 

 pi. 8. 8vo. pi. 1. p. 22* 



Provincial. — Capped Buzzard. 



This species weighs about one pound ten ounces ; length twenty- 

 three inches ; breadth four feet one inch. The bill and cere dusky ; 

 irides bright yellow. The head is brown, tinged with ash-colour ; the 

 feathers at the base of the bill small and close, without hairs, as in most 

 of the hawk tribe; all the other parts above are of a deep brown ; the 

 chin whitish ; breast and belly light brown, marked with brown bars, 

 tinged with rust-colour ; the tail brown, with two broad bars of dusky 

 brown, one of which is very near the end ; legs strong, and of a dull 

 yellow. The bird from which this description is taken, was killed in 

 Lord Carnarvon's park at Highclere in Berkshire, and presented to 

 us by that nobleman. At the time it was shot, it was skimming over a 

 large piece of water; but whether it was male or female we have not 

 noted, though we believe the latter. 



The Honey Buzzards seem to vary considerably in their markings ; 

 that mentioned in the British Zoology was white beneath, with dusky 

 strokes pointing downwards ; on the tail were three broad dusky bars, 

 between which were two or three of the same colour, but narrower. 

 Linnaeus remarks, that the tail has but one cinereous bar, and the tip 

 white ; while Albin's bird is described as having no bar on the tail ; that 

 described by Latham in his Synopsis, agrees pretty nearly with the 

 above. 



This appears to be a very rare species. Latham observes, that dur- 

 ing the many years he has been a collector, one specimen only came 

 to him fresh. The name seems to have been derived from its feeding 

 on the larvae of wasps, and probably bees ; the first of which, Wil- 

 lughby informs us, he found in its nest. 



A few years ago, the Rev. Mr. Holds worth, who resides near a 

 large piece of water, called Slapson Ley, in South Devon, close to the 

 sea, noticed a large species of hawk skimming over the water, in pur- 

 suit of the large dragon fly, {Ltibellula^) which it seized with its talons, 

 and took from thence with its beak. The bird was observed to frequent 

 the lake daily for some time, for the purpose of preying on these in- 

 sects ; and from his description of the bird, we are led to believe that 



