BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 359 



much shorter, but extending to beyond base of third phalanx of middle 

 toe; hallux slightly shorter than inner toe, its claw decidely longer than 

 the digit; claws moderate in size and curvature, broadly grooved 

 beneath, distinctly graduated in size, that of hallux less than twice 

 as long as that of outer toe; web between basal phalanges of outer and 

 middle toe distinct. 



Plumage and coloration. — ^Plumage soft, with feathers distinctly 

 outlined (less so on underparts) ; loral region rather densely covered with 

 small, short, downy feathers with bristly tips; the feathers on outer 

 side of thighs much larger than those on inner side, but not forming a 

 conspicuous pantalette. Adults gray above, sometimes barred with 

 paler, the tail black crossed by two or three bands (sometimes inter- 

 rupted) of white; beneath barred with gray and white, the under tail 

 coverts immaculate white. Young blackish brown above variegated 

 with ochi'aceous or buffy, the tail grajdsh brown narrowly banded with 

 black; underparts white, more or less tinged with buff, longitudinal 

 markings of blackish; the thighs narrowly barred with the same. 



i?an^e.— Tropical and subtropical continental America, from south- 

 western border of United States to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil. 

 (Monotypic.) 



BUTEO NITIDUS PLAGIATUS (Schlegel) 



Mexican Gray Hawk 



Adult male. — Above deep, rather dark ash gray or slate-gray, 

 becoming paler and narrow on the head above, where the feathera have 

 the shaft streaks black; wings with obsolete lighter bars; rump almost 

 black; upper tail coverts immaculate pure white, tail deep black, 

 tipped with pale grayish brown (this passing terminally into white); 

 about IK inches from the tip is a continuous band of white, half an 

 inch in width; a little over an inch anterior to this is another narrower 

 and less perfect one; primaries approaching black at ends; the tips 

 broadly edged with dull white, as are also the ends of secondaries; head 

 uniform fine delicate ash gray, becoming white on chin and throat, 

 and approaching the same on the forehead ; shafts of feathers on head 

 above, and neck, black; neck with obsolete paler transverse bars, 

 these most distinct on chest; breast, abdomen, sides, flanks, axiJlars, 

 and thighs regularly barred transversely with ash gray and pure white, 

 the bars of each about equal, the white, however, gradually increasing, 

 the ashy bars narrowing posteriori}^; under wing coverts white, with 

 sparse, faint, zigzag bars next the axillars and on larger coverts; 

 under surface of primaries white anterior to their emargination, be- 

 yond which they are more silvery, leaving about an inch of the terminal 

 portion black, the end of each, however, ashy; two outermost quills 

 crossed by narrow bars of ashy, the rest with indications of the same, 



