Mr. R. B. Sharpe's Catalogue 0/ Accipitres. 155 



I have examined, not on the upper surface, or, if at all, very 

 partially so. It is distinguished by the breast, abdomen, and 

 under tail-coverts becoming transversely marked by rows of 

 wood-brown spots on a white ground, producing a considerable 

 resemblance to the immature plumage of C. gallicus, as has 

 been already observed by Schlegel and by Von Heuglin in 

 their respective notes on this species, to which I have already 

 referred ; the late Jules Verreaux states that he has watched 

 the change from this to the fully adult dress in specimens 

 kept in confinement ■^. 



(No. 3.) The most perfect instance of this phase of plu- 

 mage which has come under my notice is exhibited in a South- 

 African specimen preserved in the Liverpool Museum, which 

 might almost pass for an example of C. gallicus. 



The Norwich Museiun also possesses some interesting spe- 

 cimens which are more or less completely in this stage, and 

 which it may be desirable briefly to describe, as tending to 

 elucidate the gradual assumption and subsequent loss of the 

 transverse rows of brown spots on the lower surface bv 

 which this intermediate condition of plumage is especially 

 characterized. 



(No. 4.) One of these specimens, now preserved at Norwich, 

 was obtained in South Africa by the late Sir A. Smith, and, 

 from its appearance, seems to have been kept in confinement. 

 It is in similar plumage to No. 2, except that the tail-feathers 

 and most of the secondaries have already attained the deep 

 grey tint, with dark transverse bars, which is characteristic 

 of the adult bird ; but my chief reason for referring to this 

 specimen is to mention the circumstance of four apparently 

 oew feathers being visible among the older fulvous plumage 

 of the left side of the breast : these four feathers are dark 

 brown ; but all of them have white bases, and two of them 

 also have white tips. Here, if I mistake not, we have the 

 commencement of the intermediate stage of plumage to which 

 I have just referred. 



(No. 5.) The next specimen which I propose to notice is a 

 male, obtained by Mr. Ayres near Potchefstroom on 24th 

 * Vide Ibis, 1862, p. 209. 



