Birds. 285 



Genus Pfrnis. Cuvier. 

 B'll curved from the base, edges sharp, culmen nearly sharp ; 

 tarsi short, moderately strong, reticulated, and with scutce on 

 the foes; space betioeen angle of mouth and eye covered with 

 feathers like scales; nostrils, oblique narrow slits at the anterior 

 edges of cere; tail and wings long ; tarsi half covered with 

 feathers below the knees. 



'Pernis Madigiscariensis, Smitli.* Above, dark brown of va- 

 rious tints, the feathers of the head more or less distinctly mar- 

 gined with riifons; beneath, dull brown dashed with white, 

 particularly on the throat and the breast ; most of the feathers 

 on belly narrowly tipt with white ; hinder part of belly, vent, 

 under tail coverts, and legs, white ; some brown spots ou the 

 outer sides of thighs. Quill feathers light brown, transversely 

 banded with dark brown, and the inner vanes towards quills 

 crossed with white ; the tips of most of them dull white. Tail 

 above dark brown ; towards base banded with white, towards 

 tip with brown grey, the tips themselves Avhitc ; beneath, white 

 crossed with about four dark brown bands. Bill dark horn- 

 coloured ; lower mandible yellow towards base ; naked portion 

 of tarsi and toes yellow ; claws dark horn-coloured. Length 

 eighteen inches. 



Young. — Above, light brown ; the feathers, particularly those 

 of the shoulders, tipt with rufous white; beneath, fulvous 

 dashed with white, and the feathers of breast and belly tipt 

 with white. 



Inhabits Madagascar. 



Obs, Most of the feathers of head, neck, and body, pure white to- 

 wards quills. 



Genus BuTEO. Bechst. 



Bill curved from the base; edges a little waved, culmen 

 rounded; angle of mouth under the eyes; spaces between nostrils 

 and eyes covered with hair ; nostrils irregularly loundcd, naked 

 and open; tarsi lobust, sculellated before, reticulated behind; 

 (ail slightly rounded. 



■Buteo Jackal. Bill black with the exception of a little of 

 the lower mandible at its base, which, and the cere, are dull 

 yellow; eyes dark brown ; head, neck, back, shoulders, chin, 

 ftnd throat, black or blackish brown; breast deep chesnut or 

 ferruginous red ; belly, under tail coverts, and thighs, black ; 

 all the feathers broadly tipt with white or ferruginous red. 

 Primary wing feathers black, with a tint of hoary upon tiie 



' ■! „ , . I I _ I I 



• This species has not the scale-lil<e featliers of Pernis. but in other 

 respects it exhibits most of the characters of the genus. 



