Mr. R. B. Sharpe's Catalogue of Accipitres. 367 



iug its changes of plumage in coutiueraent, 1 do uot think 

 that they bear out this assertion. 



The change which takes place in the passage from the 

 immature to the fully adult dress is chiefly characterized by 

 the bird becoming, throughout^ less fuliginous and more 

 intensely rufous ; but this can only be correctly estimated by 

 a comparison of individuals which have newly moulted ; for I 

 know no Buzzard in which the plumage becomes so worn and 

 faded between the period of the assumption and moult of its 

 feathers as in this species, and especially in North-African 

 individuals, so that it seems difficult to recognize the ragged 

 and faded bird which is approaching its moult as identical 

 with the wearer of the rich rufous dress which distinguishes 

 the adult of this species when the process of moulting has 

 been but just completed. 



It may be useful to note in conclusion that full details of 

 the coloration &c. of Himalayan examples of this Buzzard 

 are given by Mr. Hume in his ' Rough Notes/ pp. 271-274. 



Buteo fei'ooe, the next species which we have to consider, is 

 closely allied to B. desertorum, but of larger dimensions and 

 a less extended geographical range. 



This Buzzard, like B. desertorum, though not quite to the 

 same extent, is liable to a great loss of colour from the fading 

 and attrition of the plumage between the period of its moults ; 

 and this circumstance must be borne in mind in studying the 

 variations to which this species is liable. 



Buteo ferox, like B. desertorum and B. vulgaris, has been 

 recently the subject of a very full and exhaustive article by 

 Mr. Dresser in the ' Birds of Europe,^ to which I would refer 

 my readers. 



Mr. Dresser's views of the changes of plumage incident to 

 this species differ from those propounded by Mr. Sharpe ; and 

 the observations which I have made on numerous specimens 

 lead me to agree in this instance with the opinions of Mr. 

 Dresser rather than w ith those which have been published by 

 Mr. Sharpe. 



It seems to me to be certain that, in this species, the trans- 

 verse bai^s upon the tail are ordinarily and normally an iudi- 



