CARRION BUZZARDS. fJOl 



between the inner and middle toe, as well as between outer and niiildie, as in most 

 other Falconidic exccjit the os|)rey. In addition to this, the bill is not usually toothed 

 (the only excejition being in Milcago, where there is a trace of a tooth) ; the legs are 

 rather long, tarsi little feathered in front above, mostly reticulate, or with small scales, 

 only really sciitellate just above the toes, in front; the hind toe much shorter than 

 any of the others, which are variable in length. The sides of the head arc also more 

 or less destitute of feathers. Two or three of the species reach the size at whicli most 

 buzzards gain popular recognition as eagles, liut the others are smaller. 



The species have been rather naturally grouped in three genera, inunely, Pohjhorus, 

 with one or two species, Milvcifjo, with five or six, and Ibtjcter, with two. Polyhorus 

 and MilriKjo are chiefly terrestrial; Ibijcter comjiletely arboreal. The legs in all are 

 decidedly long, the toes short in the terrestrial forms, longer in the arboreal. The 

 bill of Polijborus is nmcli the strongest, being high, laterally comj)ressed, and with 

 narrow, almost linear nostrils, while the other genera have the bill of a more ordinary 

 ty)<e, and the nostrils circtdar. In all the genera there is a ]iateli of naked skin over 

 the crop, not noticeable, however, while the croj) is em])ty. There is also more or 

 less unfeathered and often brightly colored skin about the face. This is least noticea- 

 ble in Milcago chimango, more prominent in the other species of 3Iilvago and in 

 Poh/bonts, M\i\ reaches its maximum in I bijcter amcria.uuis,\\\-n.n-ii not only the isn^c 

 and sides of head are bare, but also a large part of the throat. 



The caracara eagle, Pohjborus t/iarus, is an abundant bird all over South America, 

 and one of its races extends as far north as Texas and Florida. It is strongly and 

 rather clumsily bnilt, spending much of its time on the grouinl, where it walks about 

 easily in search of food. On the wing it does not usually give the impression of much 

 strength or skill, but it does often rise to a great height, and during the jjairing 

 season frequently goes through a variety of aerial evolutions. It feeds on animal 

 matter of any kind, freshly killed or putrid, is often seen associating with the vultures 

 (Cat/uvtes), and, like them, not unfrequently attacks weak or sickly animals. On the 

 jdains of La Plata it is hated and detested by the sheep fanners for its habit of 

 attacking new-born lambs, many of which, in spite of every precaution, are annually 

 killed in this way. Darwin says of this species: " Their vulture-like, necrophagus 

 habits are very evident to any one who has fallen asleep on the desolate jilains of 

 Patagonia, for when he wakes he will see, on each surrounding hillock, one of these 

 birds patiently watching him with an evil eye. ... At times the carrancha is noisy, 

 but is not generally so ; its cry is loud, very harsh, and ix-cidiar, and may be likened 

 to the sound of the Spanish guttural //, followed by a rough double ;• ; when uttering 

 this cry it elevates its head higher and higher, till at last, with its beak wi<le open, 

 the crown almost touches the lower part of the back. This fact, which has been 

 doubted, is quite true; I have seen them several times with their heads baekwar<ls in 

 a completely inverted ]iosiiion.'' To this we may add thai although this last singular 

 fact is confirmed, if confirmation were necessary, by many other observers, it can 

 scarcely be a very common jiei-formanee, since we ourselves, during an uninterrupteil 

 acquaintance of about eighteen months with this bird, never saw more than a slight 

 elevation of the head while its cry was uttered. 



It makes a bulky nest on low or meilium-sized trees, and lays two or three hand- 

 some, brown-spotted eggs, very variable in precise color and amount of markings. 

 The gencr.nl color of the caracara, or riimtivha, as it is called on the Plata, is 

 blackish brown above, with fine cross-bars of black and grayish white below. The 



