April, 1847,] 199 



Description of a new rapacious Bird in the Museum of the Academy of 



Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 



By John Cassin. 



Genus Cymindis, Cuvier. 



Cymindis Wilsonii, Nobis. 5 . Body above entirely dark brown, palest 

 on the head, beneath white ; every feather from chin to under tail coverts 

 crossed by several bars of bright rufous chesnut, and these colours extending 

 upwards into a collar around the neck; fourth, fifth and sixth primaries longest 

 and nearly equal, external webs nearly black, internal webs of outer primaries 

 white at base and for nearly half their length, the remaining part reddish in- 

 clining to chesnut, every primary (on its inner web) having two irregularly 

 shaped black marks and tipped with black. Tail of the same colour as the 

 back but paler, white at base, and crossed by about four broad bars which are 

 nearly black, the second bar from the tip accompanied by a narrow rather in- 

 distinct bar of rufous ; tip of tail narrowly edged with white. Bill very large, 

 (larger than in any other species of this genus,) yellowish white, inclining to 

 bluish horn colour at base. 



. Body above entirely slate colour, palest onjthe head, beneath barred with 

 the same, the bars having a ferruginous tinge. 



Total length of mounted specimen, from tip of bill to end of tail, 17 inches. 



Hab. Island of Cuba. 



The two specimens here described, were presented to the Academy by its 

 esteemed member, Richard G Taylor, Esq., the eminent Geologist, who has 

 kindly favoured me with the following note and memorandum from hia 

 journal : 



Philadelphia, April 5th, 1847. 



Dear Sir :I make the best reply in my power respecting the pair of Hawks, 

 the skins of which and of other birds were brought by me from the Island of 

 Cuba ; but not being an Ornithologist, the very concise description that I can 

 give of them may not be very intelligible nor useful. 



The locality was towards the north-eastern part of the island, in the vicinity 

 of the port of Gibara, in the province of Holguin. The range of country more 

 especially traversed by me, during six months residence, extended from the sea 

 coast to thirty miles inland, either into the savanna, or copper region of the 

 mountains. I have particularly described this country in the Transactions of 

 the Am. Phil. Society, vol. ix., pp. 204 to 218, where I have also given a re- 

 connoisance map. 



My journal contains a short note, made at the time these hawks were shot. 

 My companion and myself saw this pair in company, hovering over the crest 



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