202 ON THE CUBITAL COVERTS OF BIRDS. « [Apr. 6; 
Lastly, come two birds whose wings I cannot refer satisfactorily to 
any one of the groups above described. One is the Osprey 
Fig. 35. 
No te SS AN 
eR ee 
Gk 
x 
v\ 
ys 
Grus. Gypogeranus, 
(fig. 37), whose wing seems to occupy an outlying position some- 
where between the style of the Pygopodes and that of the Accipitres. 
The other is represented by Pernis apivorus: several stuffed speci- 
mens of this bird showed the posterior row of cubital coverts lapping 
distally, somewhat as in the Ciconiine birds, and there were in 
addition some minor differences of less importance. Stuffed birds, 
at the best, afford data of a very untrustworthy character in this 
Pandion. 
particular ; but on laying my difficulty before Mr. Gurney, who had 
some Honey-Buzzards alive, he courteously replied by sending me 
from the Norwich collection a skin that showed the feathers disposed 
as they were in his own living birds. This agreed exactly with the 
style observable in the stuffed birds, and differed from all the other 
Accipitrine birds as herein limited. Perhaps the nearest repre- 
sentative style is that presented by some of the Peristeropods, as, 
for example, Craw. 
In regard to any conclusions connected with taxonomy that may 
be drawn from a study of the facts herein referred to there will 
probably be much difference of opinion. The facts themselves ma 
be, in general, easily verified by a careful study of healthy living 
