484 Mr. J. H. Gurney's Notes on 



out as to a certain extent representing each other in the west- 

 ern and eastern hemispheres. 



Somewhat as the coloration of Butastur recalls that of Ru- 

 pornis, does the tone and arrangement of coloration in As- 

 turinula bring to mind that of Asturina, especially as regards 

 the remarkable transverse barring of the lower breast and 

 abdomen ; but it must be observed^ on the other hand, that 

 in the case of Asturinula there is little, if any, distinction be- 

 tween the immature and adult plumage, in which respect it 

 differs widely from Asturina, and also from the African genus 

 Melierax, with which (as well as with Asturina) it otherwise 

 exhibits some considerable affinity. 



In adopting the generic appellation of Asturinula, Mr. 

 Sharpe ignores the older title of Kavpifalco, in which he is 

 justified by the circumstance of the latter name having been 

 published by the late Prince C. L. Bonaparte without any 

 description being annexed thereto. 



Mr. Sharpe divides the genus Asturinula in his Catalogue 

 into two supposed species, A. monogrammica and A. meridi- 

 onalis; but in his subsequently published edition of Mr. 

 Layard's work on the birds of South Africa, at page 42, he 

 reunites them under the older title of monogrammica. From 

 a comparison of a series of specimens from different localities 

 I am convinced that the supposed distinctive characters are 

 not constant, and do not represent two geographical races, but 

 are due either to sex or age, or possibly, though less pro- 

 bably, to individual variation; I therefore concur in Mr. 

 Sharpe's later view, that there is but one species of this 

 genus. 



I have next to notice two interesting American genera, 

 Buteogallus and Busarellus, each consisting of but a single 

 species, and both appearing to hold a somewhat intermediate 

 place between Heterospizias and Urubitinga (taking the latter 

 genus in its restricted sense), and also, by the remarkable 

 development of the curved point of the upper mandible, to 

 approach in some degree the piscivorous and mollusk-eating 

 Kites of the genus Rostrhamus, to which they are also pro- 

 bably allied in their mode of feeding. The genus Busarellus 



