358 BULLETIN 5 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



(?) Buteo abbreviatus minima Swann, Synopt. List Accip., pt. 2, 1919, 51 (Miritiba, 

 Brazil; coll. H. K. Swann); Auk, xxxviii, 1921, 360, in text (crit.).°* 



Subgenus Asturina Vieillot 



Asturina Vieillot, Analyse, 1816, 24. (Type by monotypy, "Asturia" cinerea 



Vieillot = FaZco nitidus Latham.) 

 Asturia (emendation) Vieillot, Analyse, 1816, 68. 

 Asturisca (emendation) Sundevall, Met. Nat. Av. Disp. Tent., ii, 1873, 107. 



Rather small short-winged Buteones (wing about 241-298 mm.) 

 with middle toe more than half as long as tarsus, the latter with 

 more than upper third feathered in front; loral region rather densely 

 covered with short, bristle-tipped feathers; maxillary tomium dis- 

 tinctly lobed, and adults gray (with or without paler bars) above, 

 the tail black banded with white, the underparts barred with gray 

 and white. 



Bill moderate in size, its depth at base of culmen equal to about 

 two-thirds the length of culmen and about one-third greater than its 

 width at same point; culmen regularly decurved from base, the tip of 

 maxilla produced into a rather long unguis, not from prolongation of 

 the latter, but from excision of anterior portion of the tomium; gonys 

 about half as long as culmen or slightly more, slightly convex, moder- 

 ately ascending terminally; maxillary tomium strongly convex behind 

 the anterior deep concavity; rictus slightly but decidedly anterior to 

 anterior angle of eye; cere rather broad on top, its upper outline slightly 

 but distinctly arched, its length on top equal to about three-fifths the 

 length of culmen, its anterior outline rather deeply concave at base of 

 culmen, rather regularly convex laterally, in front of nostril; nostril 

 rather large, obliquely oval. Wing relatively rather short, the longest 

 primary exceeding distal secondary by less than one-third the length 

 of wing; third or fourth primary longest, the fifth but little shorter, 

 the second longer than sixth, the first slightly shorter than tenth; 

 four outer primaries with inner webs emarginated. Tail about three- 

 fifths as long as wing, its tip truncately rounded or very slightly 

 emarginate. Tarsus much more than one-fourth (but less than one- 

 third) as long as wing, about half as long as tail, stout, the upper part 

 feathered in front for more than one-third its length, the acrotarsium 

 and planta tarsi each with a single series of broad, transverse scutella; 

 middle toe more than half as long as tarsus; outer toe extending to 

 much beyond middle of third phalanx of middle toe, the inner toe 



64 The fact that Swann at first thought this bird to be a small form of B. albon- 

 otatus and so named it, but later became convinced that it is, from its small size, 

 a melanistic example of " Buteola" brachyura and not a small form of B [uteo] 

 abbreviatus is sufficient evidence that the so-called genus Buteola is not worthy 

 of recognition. As to specific characters, however, there should never be the 

 slightest difficulty in distinguishing one of these species from the other. 



