Mr. A. Hume on Indian Ornithology. 25 



opinion, F. atriceps is a mere modification of F. peregrinator, not 

 deserving specific separation. On the whole, it appears to me, 

 with more examples before me than I formerly had, that Falco 

 atriceps is a good species. 



ft 24 bis. AcciPiTER melaschistus, nobis. 

 ("Rough Notes," part i. p. 128.) 



I sent an adult female and a young male of this species to M. 

 Verreaux, who remarks, " I have compared these two Accipiters 

 with all those I could find either in our Museum or elsewhere, 

 and I must tell you that I believe the species to be new. No 

 doubt the female, in some respects, presents a striking resem- 

 blance to certain specimens of onr Accipiter nisus ; but there are 

 still, it seems to me, diflferences sufficient to warrant a separation. 

 As to the young male, it differs widely from the young of 

 our common species. What strikes me as the most conspicuous 

 difference is the comparative shortness of the tarsi. I think, 

 therefore, you may fairly describe the species as new." 



44 bis. BuTEO desertorum. 



45. BUTEG FEROX. 



The different species of Buzzards inhabiting the Old World 

 certainly require careful reconsideration. I hope that my re- 

 marks in Part ii. of my " Rough Notes " will throw some light 

 upon the subject. In the meantime, to refer to the specimens 

 sent to M. Verreaux, which were three in number. One from 

 the Punjab, of a very deep smoky brown colour, mingled beneath 

 on the throat and breast with dull rufous, and having on the tail 

 seven conspicuous, well-defined, transverse white bars. This I 

 believed at the time to be new, and designated B . fuliginosus ^ . 

 The other two, from the Himalayas, belonged to the species 

 usually identified with B. vulgaris ; but from this I felt con- 

 vinced they differed materially. Alluding to the first, M. Ver- 

 reaux says, " Your Buzzard appears to me to be new." Mr. 

 Gurney also, who saw this same specimen in Paris, remarks {in 

 epist.) that it appears to him to be new to science. 



[* This name has already been used for a Mexican and CTuatenialan Buz- 

 zard. Cf. Scl. Trans. Z. S. iv. p. 267, pi' 02.— Ed.] 



