Severtzoff's 'Fauna of Turkestan.' 



105 



nob. ; and the plate and description of A. dussumieri, Temm. 

 (PL Col. 308, 336), taken from mounted examples in the 

 Paris Museum, may refer to either of or both these species; 

 but when alive these two species differ appreciably, as do also 

 the skins when carefully examined. The differences are as 

 follows : — 



ASTUR CENCHROIDES. 



Sexes dissimilar in size, the male 

 being much the smallest. 



Wings short, as in A. nisus, when 

 closed reaching to half the length 

 of the tail, being half the entire 

 length of the bird. In general form 

 the bird is slight and slender, like 

 A. nisus ; the legs are slight and the 

 feet long. 



Iris. In the young bird the iris 

 is white; but in the nearly adult 

 bird it is yellow, and in the very 

 old bird bright red. 



Tail. At all stages the central 

 rectrices are crossed by seven to 

 eight bars ; and the outer ones have 

 nine to ten bars ; but these latter 

 disappear in very old specimens. 



In all stages of plumage this spe- 

 cies has a long dark line along the 

 throat. 



ASTUR BRKVIPES. 



Sexes similar in size. 



Wings long, when closed extend- 

 ing beyond the centre of the tail, the 

 tail being short. The bird is thick- 

 set in form, and the legs and feet 

 are stout and massive, like A. pa- 

 lumbarius. 



Iris. In the young bird the iris 

 is brown, whilst the old bird has it 

 bright yellow. 



Tail. The number of cross bars 

 on the tail differ according to age, 

 the young having five bars on the 

 central and seven on the outer rec- 

 trices, whereas the adult birds have 

 as many as from seven to nine. 



The black line on the throat dis- 

 appears as the bird gains its adult 

 dress. 



" The adult of A. cenchroides has the upper parts generally 

 and the cheeks light grey, as in Strigiceps ( Circus) cyaneus ; 

 quills greyish brown ; tail light grey, shaded with white and 

 barred with dark brown, these bars being somewhat indistinct 

 on the central rectrices ; underparts white, with a dark greyish 

 brown line on the throat ; breast, abdomen, and thighs marked 

 with light brown lines, shaded off with yellow ; flanks washed 

 with dull yellowish ; under tail- coverts pure white ; bill 

 blackish, towards the base bluish ; cere and feet yellow ; iris 

 red 



'' The adult female is darker than the male, and the iris 

 is light yellow ; at least a female that I had caught and trained 



