inhabiting the South of Africa. 381 
tail; more brown upon the belly and sides; the thighs and 
tarsi have a greater proportion of white ; and the interscapu- 
lars are edged with yellowish white. 
Varies according to age, being in different specimens more 
or less spotted with brown, more or less varied on the upper 
parts with white, with a more or less distinct white stripe 
over eyes, and with brown and white more or less irregularly 
dispersed on the breast. The greater part of the belly is often 
white, and variegated by some small brown spots ; the feathers 
of the thighs rayed transversely, and the tail, towards ex- 
tremity, with three transverse bands, the first of which, or 
that next the base, is broadest; iris a beautiful yellow. 
Le Vaillant only found this species amongst the woods of 
Antiqualand. He says it is more ferocious than the other 
African species of the genus, that it avoids inhabited places, 
and lives quite isolated. Its flight is rapid; and it often 
destroys partridges by suddenly pouncing upon them from the 
top of a tree, where it places itself to observe their mo- 
tions. As I have only met with one bird resembling that just 
described, and had not the opportunity of examining it for 
more than a few minutes, I cannot pretend to say that it was 
actually the booted buzzard of Europe. As both Cuvier and 
Temmink consider the bird figured by Le Vaillant under the 
name of “ Buse Gantée,” as identical with the Falco (Buteo) 
Lagopus of Linnzus, I have preferred giving the description 
of it by the latter author, to furnishing from my own notes 
what could only be a very imperfect detail. 
BurEeoO TACHARDUS. 
Falco Tachardus, Daud.—Le Tachard, Le Vaillant Ois. 
ad’ Afrique, pl. 19. 
B. supra brunneus, subflavo aut rubro-albo variegatus ; subtus 
albus, striis et maculis brunneis notatis ; femoribus plerumque 
rubro-brunneis; cera et tarsis flavis; oculis brunneis; rostro 
nigro ; flavo maculato. 
Male.—Bill black, with the base of lower mandible, and a 
small portion of the under adjoining it, yellow; cere yellow; 
eyes brown; head, neck, back, and rump brown, with the 
edges and tips of the feathers light grayish brown, or reddish 
yellow, and the bases of many of them, particularly on the 
head and neck, white; also many of those of neck, back, and 
shoulders clouded, spotted, or crossed by irregular white 
streaks; under parts. white, with the throat streaked by nar- 
row longitudinal brown lines, and the breast and posterior 
part of belly more or less spotted with oblong or roundish 
brown blotches ; thighs dirty reddish brown. Primary quill 
feathers black, with the exception of the inner vanes towards 
quills, which are white ; secondaries brown, with blackish ir- 
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