46 



U. S. p. E. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



List of specimens. 



' Iris, light brown ; bill, blue ; feet, yellow. 



CRAXIREX, Gould. 



Craxirex, Godld, Voy. Beagle, Birds, p. 22, (1841.) 



Size smaller than the preceding; legs long ; tarsi and toes strong. Bill rather long, abruptly curved at the tip ; edges of 

 upper mandible festooned ; wings and tail long. Tarsi with wide transverse scales in front j claws moderate. 



CRAXIREX UNICINCTUS, Te rami nek. 



Harris' Buzzard. • 



Fttlco unicmcfus, Temm. PI. Col. I, (not paged, liv. 53 about 1827.) 



Buteo Harrisii, Auoubon, Dm. B og. V, 30, (1839.) 



Polyborus taeninrus, Tschudi, Fauna Peruana? 



Craxirex galapngoensis, Gould, Voy. Beagle, Birds, p. 23? 



Figures.— Temm. PI. Col. 313 | Aud. B of Am. pi. 392 : Oct. ed. I, pi. 5 ; Tschudi, FaunaPer. Cm. pi. 1? ; Voy. Beagle, 

 Birds, pi. 2? 



Jldult. — Shoulders, wing coverts, and tibia? reddish rhestnut ; upper and under tail coverts white, tail white at base and 

 tipped with wliite, presenting the appearance of a very wide band between of brownish black with a violet tinge. Body above 

 and below dark brown, in some specimens nearly black on tiic under parts. 



Younger. — Upper parts dull umber brown, much mixed with fulvous ; shoulders chestnut red, spotted with dark brown; 

 entire under parts yellowish wliite, with large oblong and circular spots of brown ; upper and under tail coverts white ; tail 

 brown, with many b tnds of a deeper shade of the same color, and with the inner webs yellowish and reddish white ; base and 

 tip of tail yellowish white. 



Total leng:h, female, 22 to 24 inches ; wing, 15 inches ; tail, 10 inches. Male, total length, 20 inches ; wing, 13 to 14 

 inches ; tail, 9 to '.li inches. 



//aft.— Southern States, Mexico, South America. Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington, and Mus. Acad. Philada. 



The observations of naturalists attached to the late expeditions demonstrate this bird to be of 

 common occurrence in Texas, on the Rio Grande. It is a dull and heavy bird in its habits, 

 and subsists for tlie greater jiart on dead animals. 



This bird appears to belong to the genus Craxirex, as given by Mr. Gould, if not identical 

 with his species. 



