168 
HONEY BUZZARD, 
on the ground near several wasps' nests, and who,, 
on dissecting it, found both in its craw and stomach, 
a quantity of wasps and their grubs, with a few 
small beetles. As nobody has had the good fortune 
to see one of these birds in the act of feeding, it is 
impossible to ascertain how it makes its way without 
being injured, into the interior of the wasp's nest, 
which it must do, in order to get at the grubs which 
are concealed in the very middle of the combs. 
The head and throat are surrounded with a clothing 
of remarkably thick, and rather stiff feathers, which 
may probably be intended as a protection. From 
the date, namely, October 12, when this bird was 
shot, it might be imagined that it attacked those 
nests only which had been partly destroyed, or 
deserted by the wasps, which so late in the season 
w r ere beginning to get feeble ,* but this is not correct, 
as they have been seen just as busy about hives 
and wasps' nests, in the breeding-season, when these 
insects are in full strength and vigour. How the 
Hawk contrives to make his way into the comb is 
also difficult to understand, though as the legs and 
claws of this bird were very dirty even to the knee, 
he most probably uses them as fowls do in dung- 
hills, to scratch away the soil. 
Bold, and apparently savage and cruel as is the 
disposition of the Hawk tribe, occasional instances 
are to be found of their manifesting something like 
kindness and good-will towards birds, where such a 
disposition might be little expected. Even the 
Sparrow-hawk, which by some has been considered 
of so savage and wild a nature, as to render all 
means for taming it hopeless, has, nevertheless, in 
