282 [February, 



the upper mandible with a rounded not well defkied lobe, wing moderate, fourth 

 quill longest, first quill short, tail moderate, wide, rounded. Tarsus feathered 

 in front slightly below the joint with the tibia, naked behind, naked portion in 

 front presenting about twelve transverse scales. 



Dimensions. Total length, adult male ? (of skin) about 19 inches, wing 13, 

 tail 8 inches. 



Colors. Adult, generally resembling those of Buteo lineatus. Throat dark 

 brown with white longitudinal lines. Entire under parts bright rufous, darker 

 and unspotted on the breast, lighter on the abdomen, tibiae and under tail cov- 

 erts and with transverse bands of pale reddish white ; the latter (white) purer 

 at the bases of the feathers. Abdomen, tibia? and under tail coverts uniformly 

 colored. 



Entire upper parts dark brown, feathers of the head and back edged with dark 

 rufous, upper coverts of the tail narrowly tipped with white. Shoulders dark 

 rufous, every feather with a narrow central stripe of dark brown, superior cov- 

 erts of the wings dark brown, edged on their inner webs with rufous and with 

 transverse stripes partially concealed, and circular spots of white, and tipped with 

 the same. Quills brownish black, primaries and secondaries with numerous 

 irregular transverse bands of white, running obliquely on their inner webs, all 

 the quills widely tipped with white. Tail brownish black, white at base, and 

 having four transverse bands of white and tipped with the same. Under wing 

 coverts rufous, barred with reddish white, uniform with the abdomen and under 

 tail coverts. 



Dimensions. Total length (of skin) male ? 19 inches, wing 13, tail 81 inches. 



Young. Upper parts brown, plumage of the head edged with reddish white 

 and on the back with rufous, quills with their inner webs barred with white 

 and dark brown, the hands of the former (white) much the widest and narrowly 

 edged with rufous, all the quills narrowly tipped with white. Tail dark brown, 

 with four transverse bands of ashy white, purer on the inner webs and narrowly 

 tipped with white. Throat dark brown, with longitudinal narrow stripes of 

 white, other under parts dull yellowish white, every feather with wide trans- 

 verse and confluent bands of dark brown, and at its end a large arrow head of 

 the same color. These bands and sagittate spots giving the predominating color 

 (brown) to the breast and sides, but less numerous on the abdomen and under 

 tail coverts. Tibial feathers, inferior coverts of the wing and some feathers of 

 the shoulders pale rufous. Total length (of skin) 18 inches, wing 122, tail 8$ 

 inches. 



Ilab. California, (Dr. Heermann;) New Mexico, (Dr. Kennerly.) 



This bird, the adult and young of which are in a collection made by Dr. Heer- 

 mann, in California, and another )^oung specimen in Lieut. Whipple's collection, 

 bears a considerable resemblance to Buteo lineatus. The entire under parts are, 

 however, of a different red color, and continued to the abdomen and under tail 

 coverts. In the present species, this color is nearly a clear brick red; while in 

 B. lineatus, it is more of an orange color, and in the latter, the lower part of 

 the abdomen, and under coverts are nearly pure white in adult specimens. The 

 under parts in the young birds of the present species are entirely and strikingly 

 different from those of its relative mentioned. 



16. Buteo oxypterus, nobis. 



Form. About the size of Btoteo pennsylv aniens. (Wilson). Bill rather long 

 and compressed, edge of the upper mandible slightly waved in its outline, but 

 scarcely lobed ; wing long, third quill distinctly longest, tail rather short, legs 

 rather long, tarsus feathered in front for about one third of its length, naked 

 behind, and with its naked portion in front, presenting about fourteen narrow 

 transverse scales, claws large, strong, fully curved. 



Dimensioyis. Total length (of skin,) sex unknown, about 16 inches, wing 131, 

 tail 7 inches. 



Colors. (Young bird, sex unknown.) Entire plumage above dark brown? 

 nearly black on the back. Feathers of the head white at base and edged later- 

 ally with the same; many feathers of the upper parts of the body also white at 



