QgO PERNIS APIVORUS. 



behind, narrowed before ; the neck rather short. The 

 tarsi, which are feathered anteriorly about half way 

 down, are covered all round with flat hexagonal scales, 

 of which tlie anterior are very large, and six in a line ; 

 on the anterior part of the tarsal joint there are five 

 transverse series of small square scales. The toes, 

 which are of moderate length and strong, but compared 

 with the tarsus long, are covered above with transverse 

 series of scales, enlarging towards the ends, where they 

 change into scutella, of which there are four on the 

 first, three on the second, three on the third, and four 

 on the fourth. The claws are long, comparatively slen- 

 der, extremely acute, curved in about the fourth of a 

 circle, their back convex, the sides nearly flat with a 

 slight groove, the lower surface flat with thin edges, 

 the first and second nearly equal, the third largest, the 

 fourth much smaller than the first. 



The plumage is soft but compact, rather glossy on 

 the back and wings. The cere is quite bare, but the 

 eyelids are covered with small close feathers. Those 

 of the loral spaces, fore part of the head, and at the 

 base of the lower mandible, are very small, ovate, 

 rounded, compact and imbricated. The feathers of the 

 cheeks are also shorter than- usual, but less compact; 

 those of the rest of the head are short and rounded. 

 It is principally on account of the nature of its plumage 

 that the head of this bird seems smaller than that of the 

 buzzard. Feathers of the neck broad and rounded, as 

 are those of the upper and lower parts ; the elongated 

 feathers of the tibia, and t\\ose of the abdomen, more 

 compact than usual. The wings are very long, broad, 

 and rounded. The primary quills are strong and broad ; 



