382 A Description of the Birds 
regular transverse bands, and the edges of the inner vanes 
white. Tail moderately long, slightly rounded, of a dirty 
grayish color, with ten or more narrow waved transverse 
blackish brown bands ; tip of each feather dirty reddish white. 
.Legs and toes greenish yellow; claws black. Length from 
bill to base of tail eleven inches; length of latter seven 
inches and a quarter. Wings, when folded, as long as the tail. 
Young.—Above brown, verging towards blackish brown, 
with the bases of the feathers, of at least the head and neck, 
white ; below brownish red, with the shafts of the feathers 
black ; chin with a slight mottling of white. Primary and 
secondary quill feathers as in adult specimens. Tail feathers 
grayish, on outer vanes crossed by many waved or oblique 
narrow biackish bands; on inner vanes reddish white, or red- 
dish brown, with similar black bands ; tips of all the feathers 
dirty reddish yellow. Legs and toes greenish yellow; claws 
black ; bills black, with yellow in the same situations as in the 
old bird, but neither so extensive nor so brilliant. Tail 
brownish gray, with the inner vanes crossed by eight or ten 
transverse tawny or reddish white bands; tips light reddish 
brown or dirty tawny. 
Inhabits the whole of South Africa, but is much more 
scantily distributed than the first described species of this 
genus. When on the wing, the two have a considerable 
resemblance to each other, but they are readily to be distin- 
guished by the smaller size of the present species. 
Obs.—Like the other birds of this genus, the Tachard ex- 
hibits much variety of colouring, and it is very seldom that 
any two specimens are found which exactly resemble each 
other. The markings on the breast and belly, and the colors 
of the tail, are what exhibit most varieties in the bird just 
described. In some the belly and breast are almost divested 
of spots, and exhibit nearly an uniform white color ; while in 
others both of those parts, and even the throat, are densely 
covered with streaks or roundish blotches, when but little 
difference appears to exist in the ages of the individuals. In 
most instances the tail is grayish brown, banded with blackish 
brown, yet in not a few is it deep chesnut or bright rufous, 
and distinctly banded transversely by numerous black lines, 
when no reason exists for considering them as not of equal 
years. In the majority of individuals of this species, whatever 
may be the color of the lower parts, the legs, in general, are 
reddish brown, but in some they are occasionally found ex- 
hibiting a white ground, variegated by brownish spots or 
longitudinal streaks. 
ButTEO DESERTORUM. 
Falco Desertorum, Daud., Shaw, Latham.—Le Rongri, Le 
Vaillant, vol. 1, pl. 17. 
[46] 
