FALCONID^ — THE FALCONS. 267 



the dusky suffusing the lores. Whole oral region scarcely variegated pale yellowish ; 

 whole chin and throat immaculate. 



Prevailing tint above, blackish-brown, becoming purplish-black on primaries; whole 

 outer surface of wing plain, but interscapular region somewhat variegated with partially 

 concealed, irregular blotches of deeper ochraceous than the lower parts ; upper tail-cov- 

 erts with pairs of indistinct white spots. Tail grayish-brown (white at extreme base), 

 crossed with about ten narrow, indistinct, but regular bands of dusky. Lining of the 

 wings yellowish-white, with sparse cordate spots of blackish, this tint prevailing over the 

 under primary coverts ; under surface of the primaries pure purplish-black after their 

 emargination, but anteriorly plain hoary brown, growing paler basally. On inner webs 



Buteo oxypterits (Mazatlan). 



are very indistinct transverse spots of dusky, touching neither the edge nor shaft of the 

 feather, and entirely concealed when the wing is closed. Shafts of primaries pure white 

 on under side; on outer, dark brown. Wing-formula, 3-4-2-5-6-7-1, 8. Three 

 outer primaries emarginated on inner webs ; second, third, and fourth, sinuated on outer. 

 Wing, 13.70; tail, 7.00; tarsus, 2.10; middle toe, 1.35. Primaries project beyond sec- 

 ondaries, 5.50. (Cassin's type.) 



Yoimg female (33, .508, San Jose, Costa Rica; J. Carmiol). Differs from the type chiefly 

 in lighter colors. The whole forehead very broadly immaculate dull white, this continu- 

 ing back to the occiput in a broad unstreaked superciliary stripe ; along the upper edge 

 of the ear-coverts is a rusty suffusion, with condensed, fine dusky streaks, forming an 

 indistinct stripe separating the wholly white ear-coverts from the supraoral stripe ; the 

 " mustache " is very conspicuous ; the breast has a few large tear-shaped spots of clear 

 blackish-brown, and the sides have very sparse, irregular, and more sagittate spots of the 

 same ; the whole posterior parts are immaculate. The upper parts are more variegated with 

 paler, the wing-coverts and rump having the feathers irregularly bordered with whitish. 

 The upper tail-coverts are white, barred with dark brown. Tail, hoary brown, crossed 

 by nine or ten nearly obsolete, narrow bands of dusky. Whole lining of the wings im- 

 maculate, except the conspicuous patch on the primary coverts. The whole under surface 

 of the primaries is uniform slaty, gradually deepening into black towards ends. Wing- 

 formula, 3-4-2-5-6-7, 1. Wing, 15.00; tail, 8.00; tarsus, 2.45 ; middle toe, 1.55. 

 Primaries project beyond secondaries, 6.00. 



Hab. Tropical America, from the southern border of the United States to Buenos Ayres. 



The melanistic specimen described above agrees perfectly with Mr. Scla- 

 ter's excellent figure of his B. fuliginosits above cited, and the only discre- 

 pancy in the description is in the measurements, — those given for the B. 

 fidiginosus being, wing 12.00, tail 6.50, and tarsus 2.60. Tliis difference — 

 certainly not great — very likely indicates the proportions of the sexes, 

 while the discrepancy as regards the length of the tarsus, it is probable, 

 results from a different mode of measurement. 



