276 African Zoology, 



Circaetus Bacha. Head above black; hindhead with a 

 transverse crest, the feathers white towards their bases, else- 

 where black ; black dull earthy brown ; upper tail coverts 

 sprinkled with white spots: shoulders blackish brown, sprinkled 

 with white spots ; quill feathers black, tipt with white, the 

 primaries with a broad baud of greyish brown towards points, 

 the inner vanes towards quills white, undulated with black. 

 Sides of neck, and throat, brown or brown-black ; under parts 

 dull brown, freely mottled with white spots ; under tail coverts 

 brown, banded with white. Tail rounded, black, and crossed 

 towards point by a broad grey-white band clouded with dusky ; 

 all the feathers finely tipt with white. Bill lead-coloured ; 

 lower mandible towards base, and the naked space round eyes, 

 yellow. Tarsi and toes yellowish ; claws black. Eyes deep 

 brown-red. Length of the male twenty-three inches, of the 

 female twenty-eight inches. 



Inhabits South Africa, Java, and India. 



Falco Bacha, Baud. Orn. Le Bacha, Le Vaill. pi. 15. 



Obs. When I classed this bird some time ago in the genus Cymindis, 

 I had not an opportunity of examining its characters, but was guided 

 entirely by the example of Mr. Stephens. Since that I have met with 

 several specimens, and have satisfied myself that it is closely allied to 

 the CircaJiti, and more entitled to be ranked in that genus than in Buteo. 

 The reticulated tarsi and its general form bespeak the affinity. 



Genus MOEPHNUS. Cuvier. 



Bill large, almost straight, convex above and curved at the 

 point ; nostrils elliptical ; tarsi slender, long, naked, and scu- 

 tellated, or covered to the toes; wings shorter than the tail; 

 fourth quill feather the longest. 



Morphnus albescens. Bill lead-coloured ; eyes fine yellow ; 

 head with a small crest ; the whole plumage white, clouded 

 with blackish brown upon the mantle, and soft to the touch. 

 Tail rayed transverely black and white; primary wing feathers 

 with the outer vanes brownish, and the inner ones rayed ; claws 

 a leaden colour. Length about two feet six or eight inches. 



Young. Brown more abundant in the plumage ; all the 

 shoulder feathers edged with rufous. 



Inhabits South Africa, Autenaqualand. 



Falco albescens, Shaw, Zool. vol. vii. p. 93. Le Blanchard, 

 Le Vaill. Ois. Afriq. pi. 3. 



Morphnus occipitalis. Above blackish brown, inclining to 

 black, in old individuals ; below the same colour, only of a 

 darker tint ; head and crest blacker than the other parts : the 

 latter composed of several feathers, most of them of different 



' ^ 10ngeSt betWeen five and six inches ' Primai and 



