MICRASTUR. 109 
the species at Altamira, near Tampico °°, and its range can be traced through all the 
other countries of Central America. ‘The bird appears to be everywhere resident, as it 
was met with in Tehuantepec by Sumichrast and Richardson in February, April, July, 
and November, and by Forrer at Presidio de Mazatlan in February and April. We 
procured two young specimens at Medio Monte in Guatemala in August and 
December, and M. Boucard obtained an example in May in the Candelaria 
Mountains, Costa Rica. 
According to Sumichrast 18, M. melanoleucus does not soar in the air like other 
large Hawks, but seeks its prey in the thickest parts of large woods, crouching along © 
the branches of trees after the manner of the Caprimulgide; its cry resembles that 
of Herpetotheres cachinnans. 
The food of this species consists principally of iguanas and other lizards, but it also 
takes young birds and insects. 
2. Micrastur amaurus. (Tab. LXV.) 
Micrastur amaurus, Guraey, Ibis, 1879, p. 173°; List of Diurn. Birds of Prey, p. 24’. 
Nigricans ; torque collari nullo; alis fasciis vel maculis fulvescentibus celatim notatis; supracaudalibus 
nigris, albo maculatim transfasciatis; rectricibus nigris, albo terminatis et fasciis albis transversim 
4-notatis: subtus nigricans, pectore imo, abdomine, hypochondriis tibiisque, subalaribus et subcaudalibus 
albo vel fulvo fasciatim maculatis; alis subtus eodem modo notatis. Long. tota circa 22:0, ale 10:1, 
caudee 10-4, tarsi 3°55. (Descr. exempl. ex Panama. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Panama (mus. nostr. & Mus. Norv. 1). 
In 1879 Gurney ! described this species from two Panama specimens—one in the 
Norwich Museum, the other in our collection. The blackish tone of the plumage and 
the absence of a nuchal collar caused him to separate it from M. melanoleucus, of 
which, after close comparison with the series in our collection and that of the 
British Museum, we believe it to be a melanistic form, but only an examination of a 
still larger series can determine this with certainty. Our figure is taken from one of 
the types. 
3. Micrastur mirandollei, (Tab. LXIV.) 
Astur mirandollei, Schl. Neder]. Tijdschr. i. p. 181’; Mus. Pays-Bas, Astures, p. 27°. 
Micrastur mirandollei, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 759°; 1869, p. 365°; Sharpe, Cat. Birds 
Brit. Mus. i. p. 76°; Ridgw. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1875, p. 485 °. 
Micrastur macrorhynchus, Pelz. Reise d. Nov., Vog. p. 11"; Orn. Bras. p. 7”. 
Micrastur polioyaster, Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. vii. p. 317 (nec Temm.) *. 
Supra saturate schistaceus, alis vix brunnescentioribus, intus obscure nigro fasciatis; pileo dorso concolore ; 
cauda nigra, anguste brunneo terminata et fasciis brunnescentibus albido mixtis trivittata; regione 
parotica pallide schistacea, fascia posteriore saturate schistacea circumdata ; genis et corpore subtus toto 
albis, rhachidibus plumarum schistaceis, strigas angustas formantibus ; subalaribus et axillaribus pure albis : 
rostro plumbescenti-nigro ; cera flava; pedibus aurantiaco-flavis ; iride brunnea. Long. tota circa 17°8, 
alee 9°2, caudee 7:2, culm. 1-1, tarsi 3°05. (Descr. femine ex fl. Rupernuni in Guiana, Mus. nostr.) 
