324 Mr. Vigors's Sketches in Ornilhologi/. 



It is among these short winged Eagles that the greatest diffi- 

 culty prevails in deciding on their immediate affinities. Being for 

 the most part extra-European, and not within the reach of general 

 examination, their manners also being but little noted, and the 

 characters on which we depend for forming our decision respect- 

 ing their affinities being for the most part passed over in the 

 descriptions given of them, it is only by conjecture that we can 

 assign them a place in the general arrangement. Of this nature is 



the genus 



AsTUUiNA, Vieill. 



■which seems by its short wings, and bill straight at the base, to 

 belong to the groups now before us ; and to owe its generick 

 name and distinction chielly to the form of its nares, which ac- 

 cording to M. Vieiilot, are lunulated. Its tarsi also are short and 

 somewhat slender. It contains A. cinerea, Vieill. a species from 

 Guiana. 



The same difficulty extends to several other described species 

 of the Falconkhe, which appear to me to belong to the group 

 before us of short wnged Eagles^ although they have been assign- 

 ed a diiferent locality by the authours who have described them. 

 Among these is the F. Bacha, Daud. [Le Vaill. Ois. d'Afr. pi. 

 15.] which has been generally ranked with the Buzzards. Its 

 short wings and lengthened bill however seem rather to bring it 

 among the present group of the Eagles^ and its habits as described 

 to me by my friend Dr. Horsfiekl, who had an opportunity of 

 closely observing them in the Island of Java, where the birds are 

 by no means uncommon, do not in any respect correspond with 

 those of the Buzzard trilie. I would place it, together with F. 

 albidus, Cuv. [PI. Col. 19.] near those species of the genus Cy- 

 mindis which are distinguished by the reticulated acrotarsia, if not 

 in that genus itself. I have indeed some doubts whether most of 

 the short winged Fulconidce at present placed among the Buz 

 zards, such as F. busotty Daud., jF. tachiro, Daud., F. pcecilo- 

 notuSy Cuv. &c. may not be more properly removed to a situation 

 between the short winged Eagles and the Hawks, with both of 

 which they seem to have a considerable affinity. 



There is another group which also appears allied to the present, 



