110 .4 Description of the Birds 



primary quill feathers are the same as in old birds, but the 

 secondaries are less distinctly banded, and the proportion of 

 the white in the bands is smaller, or indeed almost wanting, 

 gray being the prevailing color; the tips are white. The tail 

 is banded, but the colors are in a reversed proportion, dark 

 brownish black, or black being the most abundant or ground 

 hue, and reddish white the most scanty. The latter occurs in 

 the form of narrow transverse bands, about for or five on 

 each feather, and the tips of all have besides a narrow edging 

 of dusky white ; the tail is also considerably longer in young 

 specimens than in old ones*. Legs and. toes shaded with 

 brown ; claws nearly black ; bill dark .horn colored, shaded 

 with yellow; eyes yellow; length of the tail ten inches and 

 a half. 



Examples of this species are sometimes met with in a very 

 different plumage to either of the above described ; namely, 

 with the under parts principally white, slightly spotted with 

 black or dark brown, and more or less clouded with pale 

 rufous or dirty light chesnut. The head nearly white, or 

 only with shades or streaks of brown, and the back and 

 shoulders brownish, with the feathers more or less distinctly 

 tipt with white. 



This bird builds its nest on trees, and constructs it exter- 

 nally with dried twigs, and internally with wool, hair, &c. 

 It lays i sually one, though sometimes two eggs, which are 

 very large, and of a pure white color. Wherever South 

 Africa has been explored, the present species has been met 

 with, and though no where in great numbers, yet it is not so 

 rare as to enable us to imagine how it escaped the notice of 

 Le Vaillant. It feeds upon snakes, lizards, mice, &c. and I 

 have been assured by many of the colonists that it even, at 

 times, catches and devours fish. The male and female are 

 usually found together ; the young birds acquire the plumage 

 of maturity about the months of May or June of, perhaps, the 

 second or third year. 



Genus. HELOTARSUS. Mihi\. 



Rostrum super ne convexum, 

 modice curvatum et uncinalum ; 

 nares lunulatce ; ceroma Iceve ; 

 lora subpilosa. Tarsi breves 



Bill convex above, moderate- 

 ly curved and hooked ; nos- 

 trils lunulate ; cere smooth ; 

 lores thinly set with hair. 





* This is not. peculiar to the Circaeetus, but also occurs in the young of 

 many other genera. 



f In relation to the position I have chosen for this Genus, as well aa for 

 that of Polyboroidcs, I niay observe that I am not inclined to view either as 

 well placed. The want, however, of the means of comparing them with the 

 rations other genera to which they are more or less allied, renders it neces- 

 vary for me to leave their immediate affinities to be discovered by othejn 

 enjoying better opportunities. 



