32 FALCOXIB^. 



Caracara vulgaris, Less. Traits, p. 34 ( 1831 ). 



Aquila cheriway, Mej/en, Beiir. p. G6 (1834). 



Polyboi-us thai-us, Stnckl. Oni. Si/n. p. 18 (1855) ; Gurney, Cat. Rapt. 



B. Norm. Mus. p. 17 (1864) ; Grai/, Hand-l. i. p. 17 (1864) ; Scl. 8f 



Salt: Nomencl Av. Neotr. p. 123 (1873). 



Nestling. Covered vdih. down of ca dull white colour, through which 

 the feathers which arc appearing arc of a sepia-brown colour, with 

 pale rufous margins. 



Young. Crown of head dark brown, with dull rufous tips to some 

 of the feathers ; sides of face tawny buff, with slight indications of 

 black bristles on the lores, checks, and under the eye ; upper surface 

 of body light brown, the feathers streaked down the centre with 

 yellowish white, widening out towards the apex of the feather, the 

 rump-feathers irregularly streaked and barred with the same, the 

 stripes on the sides of the neck inclining to tawny ; primaries dark 

 brown. ; secondaries lighter brown, like the back, tipped with yel- 

 lowish white ; primaries whitish for two thirds of their length, 

 freckled and vermiculated with brown above, uniform yellowish white 

 underneath, the shafts whitish ; tail yellowish white, with about 

 fourteen conspicuous cross bands, and having a very broad sub- 

 terminal bar of brown, somewhat tinged with rufous ; ixnder sur- 

 face of body dusky brown, with distinct central streaks of yellowish 

 white to all the feathers, broader on the breast, and narrower on 

 the throat and flanks ; thighs and vent-feathers duU rufous brown, 

 with scarcely any indication of central stripes ; under tail-coverts 

 dull whitish ; under wing-coverts brown, the outer ones somewhat 

 washed with rufous. Total length 26 inches, culmen 2-1, wing 

 17-9, tail 11-3, tarsus 3-8. 



Adult. Above blackish brown, the secondaries more inclining to 

 brown, with paler edges ; crown of head crested, blackish brown in 

 colour ; sides of face and neck all round huffy white, with more or 

 less distinct black bars ; entire back, including rump and upper 

 tail-coverts, dark brown, with narrow whitish cross bars ; tail buffy 

 white, with a very broad blackish-brown band at the tip, and more 

 or less distinct brown bars across the lower part of the tail, more 

 pronounced on outer feathers ; quills as described in young bird, but 

 the whitish colour not so extended on primaries ; throat pure buffy 

 white, like sides of face ; fore neck and breast white, with distinct 

 blackish cross bars ; under surface of body blackish brown, the 

 feathers of the lower breast with narrow whitish margins ; under 

 wing-coverts and thigh-feathers nearly uniform dark brown ; under 

 taU-coverts buffy white, with narrow brown cross bars ; bare 

 crop-patch yeUow ; cere and bare space round eye carmine-red, 

 tinged with yeUow ; bill dark horn -blue ; feet yellow ; iris brown. 

 Total length 22 inches, culmen 2-05, wing 15-5, tail 9-5, tar- 

 sus 3-8. 



Hah. The whole of South America, from Tierra del Fuego and 

 Patagonia as far north as 20° S. lat. on the west, and the Amazon 

 on the eastern side. 



