356 FALC0NIDJ3 ASTUE 



B. Eather smaller, wing usually less than 7'5. 

 r. Centre tail-feathers plain grey unbarred ; 



undcrparts narrowly barred A. polyzono ides, rr f7. p. 35 8 . 



cl. Centre tail-feathers barred, without 

 white spots, under surface with pale 

 rufous drop spots Ai-)olyzonoicles,juv.^. 358. 



543. Astur tachiro. African Goshmoh. 



Le Tachiro, LcvniUnni, Ois. cVAfr. i, p. 100, pi. 24 (juv.) (1799). 



Falco tachiro, Dniuh Traife, ii, p. 90 (1800) ; Temm. PL Col. i, pis. 377, 



420 (1827). 

 Micronisus tachiro, GviU,K. Vet. A'kad. Haudl ii, no. 10, p. 48 (1858) 



[Knysna]. 

 Accipiter tachiro, Gurncy, Ibis, 1859, p. 241, 1860, p. 204, 1862, p. 155, 



1868, p. 144 [Natal] ; Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 28 (1867) ; Gumry in 



Andersson's B. Damaraland, p. 29 (1872). 

 Astur tachiro, Sliarpc, Cat. B.M. i,p. 99 (1874) ; id. ed. Layard'sB.S. Afr. 



p. 20 (1875) ; Gurney, Iliis, 1875, p. 361 ; Bcndall, Tins, 1896, p. 16 



[Barberton]; SheUcy, B. Afr. i, p. 166 (1896) ; Woodward Bros.It>is, 



1898, p. 219 [Zululand]; id. Natal B. p. 142 (1899); Bciclienoiu 



Vbg. Afr. i, p. 552 (1901). 



Description. Adult male. — General colour above, dark slate, 

 lighter on the head inclining to brown on the wings ; nape feathers 

 white at the base, sometimes showing through ; primaries and 

 secondaries barred lighter and darker brown on the inner webs, 

 the latter becoming white towards the base of the feathers ; tail- 

 feathers slightly tipped with white and crossed by three darker 

 bands, both markings becoming obliterated towards the outer pair 

 of feathers ; on the two centre feathers there is a dash of white 

 following the dark band on the inner web, cheeks and sides of the 

 neck pale slaty-grey ; chin, throat, and underparts, including the 

 under wing-coverts, white, narrowly cross-barred with brown, 

 the bars most distinct on the chest ; flanks and thighs strongly 

 tinged with rufous. 



Iris light yellow ; bill black ; cere and legs yellow. 

 Length (in flesh) 15-0; wing 7-75; tail 6-5; culmen 1-0; 

 tarsus 2-40. 



The female resembles the male but is rather larger ; wing 9-75 ; 

 tarsus 2-70. 



A young male is dark brown above, the feathers narrowly edged 

 with rufous, those of the head and neck with white bases, giving 

 those parts a mottled appearance ; tail feathers with four darker 



