234 Mr. J. H. Gurncy's Notes on 



the type; but B. latissimus appears also to form a link 

 between the typical Buzzards and the genera Rupornis and 

 Butastur, and it especially bears a strong general resemblance 

 in its markings to one species of the latter genus^ Butastur 

 indicus of Mr. Sharpens work. 



Buteo latissimus has hitherto been usually known by the 

 specific name of " pemisylvanicus ;" but Mr. Sharpe has adopted 

 for it in preference that of "latissimus," and lias favoured 

 me with the following explanation of his reason for doing so : 

 " Wilson first named Accipiter fuscus ' Falco pennsylvanicus.' 

 He subsequently gave the same name to the Buzzard ; but 

 afterwards finding his mistake in naming two birds thus, he 

 himself altered that of the Buzzard to 'Falco latissimus.' This 

 must be the name, as the older one was preoccupied^^*. 



In the case of the allied species, for which Mr. Sharpe has 

 adopted the specific name of " obsoletus" he has also dropped 

 a more accustomed appellation, that of " swainsoni," and in 

 this instance apparently on insufficient grounds. The name 

 of Falco obsoletus was given by Gmelin to the " Plain Falcon '' 

 of Pennanfs ^Arctic Zoology;^ but on reference to the de- 

 scription of this bird given in Pennant's work, I am decidedly 

 of opinion that it was taken from an immature specimen 

 either of Falco gyrfalco or of F. islanclicus (including under 

 the latter term F. holboelli-f of Mr. Sharpe's work), and T 

 therefore look upon Buteo swainsoni as the correct name for 

 the present species. I may add that Mr. Sharpe includes 

 among the synonyms of Buteo swainsoni the '^Buzzard 

 Falcon " of Penuant^s ' Arctic Zoology/ which, so far as 

 it relates to an American Buzzard, appears to me to refer to 

 the immature plumage of B. borealis, as it is styled, accord- 

 ing to Pennant, " The great Hen-hawk,^^ Avhich is known to 

 be an appellation oi B. borealis %. 



* [As the iipplication of the name 2'>e7insylvanicus has remained prac- 

 tically unchallengiBd for about sixty-four years, we trust that Mr. Sharpe's 

 proposed change will not be adopted, based, as it is, upon a strained appli- 

 cation of the law of priority. — Ed.] 



t I reserve for future consideration, in its proper place, the question of 

 the specific distinctness of Falco holbceUi. 



I Co)if. Audubon's ' Ornithological Biography,' vol. i. p. 270. 



