RAPTORES. 61 



Hope in the interior of South Australia, is white, one inch and 

 seven-eighths long by one inch and a half broad. 



The sexes present considerable difference in size, but are 

 very similar in their markings ; both are spotted ; but the 

 female is by far the larger and finer bird in every respect. 



Crown of the head, cheeks, and ear-coverts dark chestnut, 

 each feather having a mark of brown down the centre ; facial 

 disk, back of the neck, upper part of the back, and chest 

 uniform dark grey ; lower part of the back and scapulars dark 

 grey, most of the feathers being blotched and marked at the 

 tips with two faint spots of white, one on each side of the 

 stem ; shoulders, under surface of the wing, abdomen, thighs, 

 and under tail-coverts rich chestnut, the whole of the feathers 

 beautifully spotted with white, the spots, which are regularly 

 disposed down each web, being largest and most distinct on 

 the abdomen ; greater and lesser wing-coverts brownish grey, 

 irregularly barred and tipped with a lighter colour ; seconda- 

 ries dark grey, crossed with three narrow lines of dark brown, 

 and tipped with a broad band of the same colour, the extreme 

 tips being paler; primaries black for two-thirds of their 

 length, their bases brownish buff; upper tail-coverts brown, 

 barred and tipped with greyish white ; tail alternately barred 

 with conspicuous bands of dark brown and grey, the brown 

 band nearest the extremity being the broadest, the extreme 

 tips greyish white ; irides bright orange-yellow ; cere olive- 

 yellow ; bill blue at the base, black at the culmen and tips ; 

 legs yellow. 



Those ornithologists who are in favour of a more minute 

 division of the Falcoiiida than myself may be inclined to 

 adopt Professor Kaup's generic term of Spilocircus for this 

 bird ; but the propriety of separating it from the other 

 Harriers appears to me very questionable, since it does not 

 differ from them in structure in any respect. 



