inhabiting the South of Africa. Ill 



partim plumis et partim squa- 

 mis rigidiselevatis tecil; digiti 

 squamosi et prope ungues scu- 

 tullati; ungues incequales mo- 

 dice curvati- — Remex < 2A a - 

 longissima, \ ma - et 3^«- fere 

 aequales. 



Tarsi short, partly covered 

 with feathers, and partly with 

 rough elevated scales ; toes 

 scaly, and towards claws scu- 

 tulate ; claws unequal, nio- 

 derately curved. The second 

 wing feather the longest, the 

 first and third nearly e<| 



Helotarsus typicus. Boot or Berghaan of the Colonists. 



Falco ecaudatus, Shaw, vol. 7, p. 98. — Le Bateleur, Le Vail- 

 lant Ois. Aft. pi. 1 and 8. 



H.niger, dorso, caudaquerufis ; humeris griseo-fuscis ; tectrici- 

 bus alarum nigris; primariis et secundariis, griseis aut cinereis 

 prope bases, nigris versus apices. 



Male. — Tip of bill black ; base and the cere orange ; eyes 

 deep red ; head, neck, and under parts clear black; inter- 

 scapulars, back, and tail clear deep chesnut ; shoulders gray- 

 ish brown ; primary and secondary wing coverts black ; pri- 

 mary wing feathers with both vanes fjray, and the inner ones 

 edged near quills with white ; secondaries cinereous gray, 

 with the inner vanes edged with white ; and each feather 

 broadly tipt with fine shining black ; scapulars black ; tail 

 slightly rounded, and the wings, when folded, about three 

 inches longer than it. Tarsi reddish, more or less inclined 

 to orange ; toes similarly colored ; claws black. Length from 

 bill to base of tail seventeen inches ; length of latter five 

 inches and a half. 



Female. — Colors disposed as in the male, only less bright ; 

 size a little greater. 



Young. — Cere bluish; bill horn colored; feet and tarsi 

 yellowish ; plumage brown, lightest on the head and neck, 

 most of the feathers with the edges and tips of a fainter hue; 

 primary and secondary wing feathers blackish, tinged with 

 gray; tail blackish brown; claws black. 



It is found in Autniqua land and in the eastern districts of 

 the colony, as well as in the country around Lattakoo. It flies 

 very high, and exhibits a peculiar appearance on account of 

 the shortness of the tail and the length of the wings. Le 

 Vaillant says it kills young antelopes, lambs, ostriches, &c, 

 but I have seen it only feed upon carrion, which it did 

 with great avidity. 



Genus. AQUILA. Auct. 



Rostrum supra subetngidare ; 

 nates rotundaice ; ceroma sub- 

 itum. Tarsi usque ad 

 fox plitnuitt 



Beak somewhat angular a- 

 bove ; nostrils rounded ; ceroma 

 rather hispid. Tarsi clothed 

 with feathers to the toes 



