324 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



St. Vincent, Grenada, larger Grenadines formerly Barbados; descr.), 414; 

 Check-list Birds West Indies, 1940, 24 (St. Vincent, larger Grenadines, 

 Grenada, Tobago); ed. 2, 1945, 24; Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, xciv, 

 1942, 91 (Tobago, not uncommon; Little Tobago). 



Subgenus Butaetes Moeschler 



Large Biiteones (wing about 400-493 mm.), resembling Buteo, 

 but wth tarsus (except planta tarsi) densely feathered to base of 

 toes, tarsi relatively shorter, toes relatively shorter and weaker, 

 and plumages of thighs m-ore elongated. 



Bill moderate in size or, relatively, rather small, its profile from 

 above rather narrowly cuneate, its width where anterior margin of 

 cere touches maxillary tomium decidedly less than length of outer 

 claw, the width of gape at rictus not greater than length of middle 

 toe without claw; culmen strongly and regularly decurved from base, 

 the maxillary unguis relatively rather long (nearly half the length 

 of the corneous rhino theca); gonys a little less than half as long as 

 culmen, slightly convex, slightly ascending terminally, not at all 

 ridged, the width of gnathotheca, at base decidedly greater than 

 length of gonys; maxillary tomium veiy slightly to distmctly sinu- 

 ated; anterior margin of cere strongly sinuated, convex in front of 

 nostril, slightly concave and strongly receding below; nostril relatively 

 rather large, longitudinally oval to broadly oval, about midway 

 between upper and lower edges of cere, the anterior end narrower 

 than the posterior end. Wing long and pointed, the longest primary 

 exceeding distal secondary by slightly (B. lagopus) to decidedly 

 (B. hemilasius) less than two-fifths the length of wing; third or fourth 

 primary longest, the first equal to or longer than seventh; inner webs 

 of four outer primaries abruptly emarginated. Tail slightly to decid- 

 edly more than half as long as wing, its tip slightly but decidedly 

 rounded. Tarsus one-sixth (B. hemilasius) to more than one- 

 fifth (B. lagopus) as long as wing, slightly (B. hemilasius) to much 

 {B. lagopus) less than one-third as long as tail, densely feathered, 

 except on planta tarsi, to base of toes, the planta tarsi with irregular 

 hexagonal scutella, these larger on lower portion, where some of them 

 (especially in B. hem'^lasius) are much larger, and distinctly trans- 

 verse, with indication of forming a single longitudinal series; middle 

 toe half as long as tarsus or slightly less; outer toe decidedly longer 

 than inner toe, extending to or nearly to middle of third phalanx of 

 middle toe, the inner extending but little if any beyond base of same 

 phalanx; hallux about as long as inner toe, its claw slightly to decid- 

 edly longer than the digit; claws moderate in size and curvature, 

 acute, conspicuously graduated in size, that of outer toe about 

 three-fifths as long as that of hallux. 



Plumage and coloration. — Plumage full, softer and more blended 



