1 OG A Description of the Birds 



the feathers being more or less distinctly, an obscure cinereous 

 black, and the edges clear black, the shafts white. Primary 

 and secondary quill feather, together with the tail, more or 

 less grayish ; throat, breast, belly, and thighs clear or dull 

 rufous ; toes somewhat granulated, and dusky black. Length 

 about three feet. 



Young. Head and neck brownish black ; upper parts gray- 

 ish brown with blotches of dirty white ; the anterior part of the 

 back with large white blotches; the scapulars and wing coverts 

 blackish with lighter colored spots ; the quill feathers brown- 

 ish black ; iris brown ; feet livid. (Temmink.) 



This bird is found, though scantily, in most parts of South 

 Africa, and is seldom seen in company either with those 

 of its own species or of any other genus. It frequently resorts 

 to spots where carrion occurs, and feeds upon it ; and it often 

 also, according to the statements of the inhabitants, attacks 

 and kills the smaller quadrupeds. 



Fam. FALCONID^E. 



Caput plumosum ; aut partim denudatum, rostrum forte, 

 aduncum, basi cerigerum ; nares laterales, in ceromate positce, 

 plus aut minus rotundatce, apertce; digiti externi prcecipuc 

 mediis connexi, ungues validi, acutissimi, maxime incurvi, 

 retractiles. 



Head clothed with feathers or partially naked ; beak strong, 

 bent down, and furnished with a cere ; nostrils lateral, placed 

 in the cere, more or less rounded, and open ; outer toes chiefly 

 connected with the middle one ; claws stout, very acute, much 

 incurved, and retractile. 



Stirps. AQUILINA. (EAGLES.) 



Rostrum longum ad apicem solum aduncum; remex quarta 

 prcecipue longissima 



Beak long, hooked at the tip only; the fourth quill feather 

 usually longest. 



Genus. POLYBOR01DES. Mihi. 



Rostrum compressum prceci- Sill compsessed, particular- 



pue versus culmen, modice un ly to wards culmen; moderately 



einatum. Nares longitudinales [ hooked ; nostrils longitudinal 



et angustce, ceroma Iceve ; la- jj and narrow; ceroma smooth ; 



tera capitis ante et partum \ sides of head to some little 



etiam post oculos denudata. distance behind eyes bare. 



Tarsi longi graciles et reticu- |j Tarsi long, slender, and reti- 



lati ; ungues compressi acuti ; ' culated ; claws compressed and 



3< remex longmima. acute ; fourth quill feather the 



.ongest. 



