22 



and stretching forward their bodies, very much like pheasants. 

 The sealers, who have sometimes, when pressed by himger, 

 eaten them, say that the flesh when cooked is quite white, like 

 that of a fowl, and very good to eat — a fact which I (as well 

 as some others of a party from the "Beagle," who, owing to 

 a gale of wind, were left on shore in Northern Patagonia, imtil 

 we were very himgry) can answer for is far fi"om being the case 

 with the flesh of the Carrancha, or Poh/horus Brasiliensis. It 

 is a strange anomaly that any of the Falconidm should possess 

 such perfect powers of ruiming as is the case with this bird, 

 and likewise with the Phalcobcenus montanus of D'Orbigny. It 

 perhaps indicates an obscure relationship with the Gallinaceous 

 order— a relation which M. D'Orbigny suggests is stiU more 

 plainly shown in the Secretary Bird, wliich he believes repre- 

 sents in Southern Africa the PolijhorincB of America. The 

 Milvago kucurus is a noisy bii'd, and utters several harsh cries ; 

 of which one is so Hke that of the English Eook, that the 

 sealers always caU. it by this name. It is a cui-ious cireimi- 

 stance, as shewing how, in allied species, small details of habit 

 accompany similar structure, that these hawks throw their 

 heads upwards and backwards in the same strange manner as 

 the Carranchas (the Tharu of MoUna) have been described 

 to do." 



The following particulars respecting the nidifieation of 

 this species are extracted from a very interesting paper on 

 the Birds of the Falkland Islands, contributed by Capt. C. 

 C. Abbott to the third volume of the " Ibis:" — "This is one of 

 the commonest birds in East Falkland ; one or two of their 

 nests are sure to be fouJid near a Penguin Eookery. Dm-ing 

 an expedition I made to the North Camp ia December, 1860, 

 I found at least fifteen nests along the cliffs of the north shore, 

 all these had two young ones in them covered with down of a 

 light yellow colour. The nest is generally composed of the 

 dead fibres of the tussac grass, and frequently has some sheep's 

 wool in it. The eggs arc laid the fii-st week in November, and 



