1861.] ON BIRDS FROM THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 45 



1. Additions and Corrections to the List of the Birds of 

 THE Falkland Islands. By Philip Lutley Sclater, 

 M.A., Ph.D., Secretary to the Society. 



Some specimens of birds brought home from the Falklands by 

 Captain Abbott (whose name is so well known in connexion with the 

 natural history of these islands) on his recent return to this country, 

 and some information kindly communicated to me personally by the 

 same gentleman, have enabled me to make several additions to, and 

 corrections of, my " Catalogue of the Birds of the Falkland Islands," 

 as communicated to the Society in November last*. 



1. BuTEO erythronotus (P. Z. S. 1860, p. 384), 



Capt. Abbott's marked specimens of this bird and B. varius, 

 together with his observations on them in a state of nature, seem to 

 prove that there are two of these singular species of Buzzards in the 

 Falklands, in both of which the sexes are dissimilar. Capt. Abbott 

 fully confirms D'Orbigny's views of the red-backed bird (B. erythro- 

 notus of King) being the female of the grey-backed, just as they are 

 figured in the plates to the Birds of D'Orbigny's 'Voyage' (pi. 3, 

 figs. 1 & 2) under the name Buteo tricolor. Meyen has also given a 

 very recognizable figure of the male bird, when not quite adult, under 

 the name Aquila braccata (Act. Acad. L.-C. Nat. Cur. xvi. Suppl. 

 tab. 8, p. 65). The immature bird of this species is barred trans- 

 versely below, each feather being crossed by two or three narrow deep- 

 brown bands. In Buteo varius, according to Capt. Abbott's obser- 

 vations, the adult male is uniform blackish grey above and below, in 

 which stage it is probably the Falco poliosoma oi Quoy andGaimard, 

 and Buteo unicolor of D'Orbigny. The adult female has the red 

 back of the female of the former species, and much resembles it in 

 its upper surface ; but below, instead of being pure white, it is deep 

 blackish grey or lead-colour, with the whole of the belly deep chest- 

 nut-red hke the back. Capt. Abbott has recently brought home two 

 marked females so coloured, now in Mr. Gurney's collection, and 

 had previously sent to England a male example of this bird, which 

 he found breeding, and of which he obtained the eggs, as described 

 by Mr. Gould (P. Z. S. 1859, p. 94). The young of this bird, 

 instead of being transversely barred as in the former species, is 

 marked below with elongated sagittate spots, in which stage it is the 

 true B, varius of Gould, and is well figured in Cassin's work before 

 alluded to (pi. 3. fig. I), under the name given to it by Mr. Gould. 



Should Capt. Abbott's views as to the distinctness of these two 

 species and the variations of their respective plumages be correct, 

 which I have every reason to believe is the case, the following will 

 be the correct synonymy of the latter bird, which I have called B, 

 varius. 



Buteo poliosoma. 



Falco poliosoma, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. Uranie, p. 92, pi. 14 

 (c? adult.). 



* SeeP. Z.S. 1860, p. 382. 



