Birds. 275 



Inhabits South Africa and Senegal. 



Falco ecaudatus, Shaw, Zool. Terathopius ecaudatus, 

 Lesson. Le Bateleur, Le Vaill. pi 7 & 8. 



Genus CIRCA.ETTJS. Vieillot. 



Sill strong, straight at the base, convex, compressed, and 

 hooked at the point, edges nearly straight ; cere hairy ; nostrils 

 roundish; tarsi moderate, elongated, naked, and reticulated; 

 toes short; wings as long as the tail; the latter graduated, 

 cuneform, and consisting of twelve feathers. 



Circaetus cinereus, Vieill. G-eneral colour dull grey, verging 

 in some places to rufous. Primary quill feathers black ; tail 

 above, brown with five white transverse bands ; beneath, grey 

 with the same number of pure white bands ; tarsi and toes yel- 

 lowish black. Length nearly twenty-two inches. 



Inhabits Senegal. 



Circaetus thoracinus, Guv. Bill dark horn-coloured ; eyes 

 fine yellow ; head, together with the back and sides of neck, 

 blackish brown, the former often with a slight tinge of grey ; 

 interscapulars, back, tail coverts, and shoulders, blackish 

 brown, each feather more or less distinctly tipt with a dusky 

 or pure white ; throat variegated black and white ; breast pure 

 black or brownish black ; belly, under tail coverts, and thighs, 

 pure white. Primary quill feathers black, with the exception 

 of the greater portion of the inner vane of each, towards its 

 base, which is white ; secondaries marked by transverse black 

 and greyish, or greyish white bands, and distinctly tipt with 

 white. Tail nearly even and composed of twelve feathers, 

 each of which has, or may be said to have, white, or grey and 

 white as the ground colour, and is crossed more or less 

 completely by three broad black bands. When the two colours 

 first mentioned occur in the same specimen, the grey occupies 

 only the outer vanes towards the tips, and sometimes a little 

 of the inner ones near the shafts, whilst the white appears in 

 all other situations. When viewed below the whole ground 

 colour appears a pure white, and the three transverse bands a 

 dusky black. Legs and toes livid white, with a tint of greenish ; 

 claws black. Length from bill to base of tail fourteen inches ; 

 length of tail nine inches and a half. 



Young. Dull earthy brown ; second year, brownish above, 

 and white mottled with black blotches beneath ; throat and 

 anterior portion of breast black. 



Inhabits South Africa. 



Circaetus pectoralis, Smith. South African Quarterly Journal, 

 vol. i. 



[79] 



