24 FALCONID/R. 



value to these changes is that the changes on the upper surface do not corre- 

 spond with those on the lower. It is easy enough, he says, to arrange any 

 number of specimens, in what, looking at the upper or under surface only, 

 appears a very perfect series in which no links are wanting, but directly we 

 turn the specimens over, all traces of any arrangement seem to vanish." The 

 question as to which is the adult plumage seems yet a vexed one, the Buzzard 

 being known to breed in plumage which has been described as immature, but 

 it is probable that the fuliginous plumage (B. fuliginosus) of Hume is that of 

 very old birds, in which the whole head, neck, ear coverts, cheeks, throat, and 

 breast is a deep umber brown, indistinctly margined with rufous. 



Male. Feathers of the forehead and crown of the head rufescent brown 

 with stiff dark shafts. A narrow dark line in front of the superciliary edge of 

 the eye. Lores whitish, with numerous elongated stiff bristle-like feathers which 

 extend to the base of the cere, partially cover the nostrils and turn up on to 

 the front of the forehead above the base of the cere. Cheeks rufescent brown, 

 the feathers dark shafted. Ear coverts yellowish or a soiled white, the feathers 

 dark shafted. Chin and throat white, some of the feathers with dark shafts. 

 All round the edges of the lower mandible there are stiff bristle-like hairs, 

 which are \ an inch or more long. A rufous brown line behind the eye, and 

 another from the gape forming a fairly distinct moustachial stripe. Sides of 

 the neck rufous, the feathers dark shafted and edged lighter. Breast rufescent, 

 the feathers dark shafted and edged buffy. Nape and back of the neck rufous 

 brown, mottled with white, the basal portion of the feathers showing through. 

 Abdomen deep chestnut brown, the feathers edged fulvous and with dark 

 shafts. Thigh coverts deep brown, the feathers edged reddish fulvous ; upper 

 back, scapulars, and lesser wing coverts brown, edged with rufous; lower 

 back and rump uniform brown, the lateral feathers of the upper tail coverts 

 bright rufous and irregularly barred with brown. Lower tail coverts white. 

 Tail (except the two lateral feathers, which are shaded with ashy grey) pale 

 rufous, with a broad terminal band of slightly deeper rufous ; the shafts and 

 inner webs white, with traces of brown cross bars. Outer webs of quills 

 ashy grey, the inner webs blackish from the tip to the emargination or sinuosity 

 and white beyond, forming on the under surface of the wing a large white 

 patch. Except the first three, all the other primaries are barred on both webs ; 

 the 3rd, 4th, and 5th quills emarginate on ttie outer webs, and all five primaries 

 emarginate on their inner webs. 



Legs and feet pale lemon yellow. Irides brownish yellow ; orbital ridge 

 dusky greenish. Bill brownish plumbeous, gape yellow, tip black. Cere 

 yellowish green. 



Length. 24 inches; wing 1675 ; tail from vent 9*75 ; tarsus 3*20. 



Female obtained at Sehwan, 5th February, similar to the male. Length 25 

 inches; wing 1975 ; tail from vent 1075 ; tarsus 275. 



