I i |
The Honey Buzzard.
- | j _ Numb. II.
IT S Length from the point of the Beak to the end of the Tail was 23 Inches
Diftancet between the Wings when expanded was 52 Inches, Weight 33 Ounces.
Its Beak from the Point to the Angles of the Mouth was an Inch and a half long,
black and very hooked, bunching out between the Noftrils and the Head; the Bafis of the
upper Chap cover’d with a thick, rugged, black Skin beyond the Noftrils, which are
not exaftly round, but long and bending; the Mouth when gaping, very wide and yeltow;
the Angle' of the lower Chap, as in other Hawks, femicircular; the Irtdes of the Eyes
of a lovely yellow : The Head is of a Light-brown, or Moufe-colour; the Crown
flat broad, narrow toward the Beak; the Back and Wings are of a ferrugineous Co.
lour for Moufe-dun;) The Wings when clos’d reach not to the end of the Tail; the
Number of flag Feathers in each Wing are 24, the Tail is made up of 12 Feathers near
^The'cifin Breaft, Belly, Thighs and under fide of the Tail are of a pale dun, inclining
to . white, with tranfverfe Bars of a deeper yellowiih Shade, excepting the Tail,
^^he'LeM^re^ftaJtte^'down fomewhat below the Knees, ihort, ftrong and yellow,
as are alfo the Feet; the Talons long, ftrong, iharp and black : The Guts ftiorter than
thofe in the common Buzzard, the blind Guts thick and ihort: In the Stomach was found
a great Number of green Caterpillars, call’d Loopers, as were alfo feverd common Cater-
tfllars, and others of the Infeft Kind. It builds its Neft of fmall Twigs, laying on
them Wool, and upon the Wool its Eggs : Some of them have been fonnd to m a ^ ufe
of an old Neft of a Kite to breed in, feeding their Young with the Nymph* ofWafps,
the Combs of the Wafps being found in the aforefaid Nefts, in which were two young
Ones cwered with a white down, fpotted with black, their Feet of a pale yeUow, their
Bills between the Noftrils and the Head white, their Craws large; in the Crops were
found Lizards, Frogs, &c. In one of them were found two Lizards intire, with their
Heads towards the Bird’s Mouth, as if they fought to creep out. , , , • ,
This Bird runs very fwiftly like a Hen, the Female being larger than the Male, which
is common in thofe of the rapacious Kind.
The Eggs of this Fowl are cinereous, markd with darker Spots.
ThcHmuji. Jdu&suird