118 



A Description of the Birds 



the mature or young plumage be detailed, as a variety of 

 circumstances concur to induce me to believe that both arc 

 examples of a plumage in a middle stage, only ; that of the one 

 being at least a year older than that of the other. Of the 

 "^ four individuals which I have had an opportunity of examining, 

 two were killed at the Heer Logement, near the Oliphants 

 River, one near Cape Town, and the other some where in the 

 interior At the former of those situations this bird is by no 



/ means rare, but on account of its great shyness is with diffi- 

 culty obtained. It retreats upon the approach of evening 



- towards the higher parts of the mountains, and perches during 

 the night upon the branches of old and decayed trees. In the 

 day it resorts to the plains in s'earch of food, and in its pro- ' 

 gress through the air it commonly soars, is circles, and at a 

 great height, whereby it is almost impossible to destroy it 

 while on the wing v . In consideration of its form and general 

 character, I have placed it for the present in the Genus Mor- 

 phinus, though I am not quite convinced but that a more 

 extensive opportunity of studying and comparing its charac- 

 ters, habits, and anatomical structure, will point out its 

 affinity and position to be elsewhere. It is a species, there- 

 fore, which I should particularly recommend to the observa- 

 tion of the colonists, and specimens of it in different ages 

 would be most acceptable, more particularly the young as 

 found in the nest. 



Genus. CYMINDIS*. Cuvier. 



Beak convex above ; nostrils 

 nearly closed, and resembling 

 a cleft. Tarsi short; toes hall- 

 webbed. 



Rostrum supra convexum ; 

 nares subclausi, rimiformes. 

 Tarsi breves; digiti semi-pal- 

 mati. 



Cymindis bacha. 



Buteo Bacha, Cuv. Iieg. Animal, 1, to. 324. — Falco Bacha, 

 Shaw, 7, p. 157. — La Bacha, Le Vaillant, Ois. Afr.pl. 15. 



C obscuro-fuscus aid nigricans; humeris, abdominc etcrun- 

 bns albo notatis; teclrir.ibus inferior ibus caudee albo lineatis; 

 crista occipitali nigra albo fasciata ; cauda fascia alba. 



Male. — " Bill lead colored ;' cere and bare space between 

 beak and eyes yellow ; eyes a deep brownish red ; head black, 

 variegated with white ; hindhead crested ; the feathers black 

 at their tips, and white elsewhere ; plumage above earthy 

 brown or blackish brown, lightest on the wings and shoulders ; 

 beneath the same hue, only less deep, and from the breast to 

 the legs the feathers are spotted with white, as are also those 

 on thighs and shoulders; the hinder part of abdomen and vent 



* Shaw's Zoology, vol. 13, p. 21. 



