88 FALCONIDJS. 



broad black bars, the Avhite decreasing in extent towards the centre 

 feathers ; lores rufous, feathers in trout of the eye black ; throat 

 and breast entirely bluish ash-colour; rest of the under surface 

 •white, thickly crossed ^Yith narrow wavy bars of greyish black ; 

 Tinder wing- and tail-coverts almost entirely white, with only a few 

 irreguLif wavy cross lines on the lower ones ; cere bright brick-red ; 

 bill horn -colour, bright red at base ; legs and feet vermilion -red ; 

 iris dark reddish brown. Total length 21 inches, culmen 1-55, 

 wing 14'8, tail 11, tarsus 4-4. 



Hah. South Africa, below 15° S. lat. 



a. Juv. sk. South Africa. Su- A. Smith [C.]. 



b. Juv. sk. South Africa. J. Rocke, Esq. [P.]. 



c. Juv. st. South Africa. M. J. Yerreaux [C.]. 



d. Ad. St. Cape Colony. Purchased. 



e. Pull. St. Karee River. M. J. Verreaux [C.]. 



f. Ad. sk. Damara Land. Sir J. Alexander [C.l. 



g. Juv.sk. Damara Land. Sir J. Alexander [C. J. 



2. Melierax poliopterus. 



Melierax poliopterus, Cab. in Deckeii's Heis. iii., Voi/. p. 40 (1869) ; 

 Finsch n. Marti. Vog. Ostafr. p. 92 (1870). 



Adult (type of species). Above dark slate-colour ; hind neck, sides 

 of face, entire throat and chest, and the whole of the wings light 

 ashy grey ; secondaries tipped with white ; primaries black, extern- 

 ally shaded with ashy grey ; upper tail-coverts white, the exterior 

 basal ones narrowly barred with blackish ; tail black, greyish at 

 base of tail and tipped with white ; lower surface of tail whitish ; 

 rest of under surface of body white, with narrow greyish black bars, 

 the axiUaries similar ; lower under tail-coverts pure white ; under 

 wing-coverts white, with greyish black bars, somewhat narrower 

 than on the breast. Total length 19 inches, culmen 1"6, wing 12-8, 

 tail 9-2, tarsus 3-75. {Mm. Berol.) 



Hah. Umba River, E. Africa. 



3. Melierax polyzonus. 



Astur musicus, Vig. Ajyp. I)enh. Trav. p. 195 (1826). 

 Falco polyzonus, Riipp. N. Wirh. p. 36, pi. 15 (1835). 

 Astur polyzonus, Gray, Cat. Aceipitr. 1844, p. 31 ; Schl. Mm. P.-B. 



Astures, p. 21 (1862); Hmgl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 6 (1869). 

 Melierax polyzonus, Hiipp. Si/st. Uebers. p. 12 (1845) ; Bp. Consp. i. 



p. 34 (1850) ; StricJcl. Oni. Sgn. p. 143 ( 1855) ; Speke, Ibis, 1860, 



p. 244; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 36 (1869); Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. 



p. 208 (1870) ; id. u. Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 90 (1870j ; Blanf. 



Geol. Sf Zool. Abyss, p. 291 (1870) ; Gurtiey in Anderss. B. Dam. 



idp. 27 (1872). 

 Nisus polyzonus, Ferr. et Gal. Voy. Abyss. Zool. p. 179 (1847). 

 Melierax musicus, Horsf. 4" Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. i. p. 40 



(1854) ; Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 12 (1857). 



Young. Above pale earthy brown ; the hind neck somewhat 

 mottled' and streaked with whitish; ear-coverts a little darker 



