302 CIRCUS CYANEUS. 



hypochondi'ial feathers have four light spots, as in the 

 female merlin ; the central part of the outer tibial fea- 

 thers is light brownish-red, as is the case with the ab- 

 dominal feathers and lower tail-coverts. On the sca- 

 pulars are obscure transverse bands, and some of them, 

 as well as many of the wing-coverts, have one or two 

 round whitish concealed spots ; the bases of the occipi- 

 tal feathers also are white. The primary and secon- 

 dary quills are of the same colour as the back, slightly 

 edged with paler, the greater part of their inner webs 

 whitish, the primaries with broad bands of deeper 

 brown. Upper tail-coverts white,Nvith a few irregular 

 brown markings. Tail light greyish-brown, white at 

 the base, with six waved bands of deep brown on the 

 middle, four on the lateral feathers, the last band much 

 larger, the tips brownish-white, the inner webs, ex- 

 cepting of the two middle feathers, pale reddish-grey, 

 the shafts pale brown. Lower wing-coverts broi^Ti in 

 the centre, with whitish margins ; lower surface of pri- 

 mary quills greyish-white, with very conspicuous broad 

 blackish-brown bands ; the tail paler beneath, with the 

 bands more distinct. 



Length to end of tail 21 inches, to end of wings 19 ; 

 extent of wings 46 ; wing from flexure 15i ; tail 10 ; 

 bill along the ridge 1/^' ^^oi^g ^^^® edge of lower man- 

 dible 1/2 ' tarsus 2| ; hind toe ^, its claw i^ ; second 

 toe ij, its claw 1 J^ ; third toe 1/^, its claw }^ ; fourth 

 toe ly\, its claw f|. 



Variations Adult males vary a little in size, as 



do the females. The younger the former are, the less 

 pure is the greyish-blue of their upper part?, it being 



