176 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
on large grasshoppers, but also catch mice. In Egypt, Mr. 
Stafford Allen says that the bird is crepuscular in its habits, 
feeding largely on mice and beetles, as well as small birds. 
Mr. Hume likewise speaks of the curious hovering flight of 
the Black-shouldered Kite. He says : — “ d'hey hover over the 
grass in the fashion of a Kestrel, or perhaps more like a Snake- 
Eagle {Circaetiis gallicus), but in a clumsier and heavier manner. 
The wings point upwards, instead of being retained nearly 
horizontally as in the Kestrel, and the legs and tail hang down 
in a manner unlike that of any other bird I have yet noticed. 
Thus hovering, they after a time slowly descend, and when 
within a few feet of the ground, generally drop suddenly. They 
are very tanje, bold birds, passing unconcernedly within a 
few yards of a sportsman, when busy hunting, over fields of 
grass, and sitting composedly on the bare end of a bough, 
whilst, gun in hand, one walks up to within a few paces of 
their perch.” 
Nest. — Composed of sticks and lined with grass roots and 
fibres, and always built in a tree. 
Eggs. — Three or four, generally the latter number, on rare 
occasions five. Ground-colour yellowish-white or buffy-white, 
the markings varying considerably. Very few but what are 
richly marked with chestnut ; one egg in the Hume collection, 
from Poona, being white, sparsely powdered with reddish 
spots. In some the red colour is congregated at one or other 
end of the egg, leaving the other half with spots only, while in 
some very handsome specimens the whole of the egg is clouded 
with reddish-brown and chestnut, leaving the white ground- 
colour invisible. Axis, r5S-i-7 inch; diam., i-2-i-25. 
THE HONEY-KITE.S. GENUS PERNIS. 
Pernis, Cuvier, Regne Anim. i. p. 322 (1817). 
Type, P. apivorus (L.). 
The Honey-Kites, or Perns, generally but erroneously called 
Honey-“ Buzzards ” in works on Natural History, are birds of 
the Old World only, their place in North and South America 
being taken by the Grey Kite-Falcons {Ictinia), and in the 
