1867.] DR. J. J. KAUl' ON NISI AND ASTURES. 175 



Accipitei' (squatorialis, Wall. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 4/4. 

 A. mueUeri,Wa\\. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 475. 

 Nisus cruentus, Schleg. Valkv. 1866, t. 14-16. 



This is the largest species and has the highest beak of all the Nisi. 

 Schlegel gives nine very tine figures of this species (which is common 

 in the Moluccas), representing all ages of plumage. According to 

 him (t. 2. f. 14) the transverse bars on the lower parts, as well as 

 the neck cross bars, are lost in old age ; the lower ])arts are more or 

 less intensely rusty red ; the upper parts ashy grey, more or less 

 dark. My specimen, which has recently moulted, shows eight or 

 nine dark bars on the tail ; and when the light is favourable, dark 

 bars can be seen on the breast-feathers. 



An old female, of which I give the outline of the head (fig. B, 

 p. 174), has upon it a darker ashy grey; and on the upper part of 

 the back there is a large somewhat obscure and rusty red patch, 

 which mingles with the pale rusty-reddish chest. The lower parts, 

 excepting the grey throat wath white spots, are pale rusty-coloured, 

 and have bluish-white transverse bars. On the inner vanes of the 

 tail and of the primaries there are scarcely any traces of bars. On 

 a similar specimen Mr. Gray established his A. griseogularis. 



At a still greater age the neck-baud, as also the breast-markings, 

 disappears as in the male, which Schlegel (Joe. cit.) figures in t. 2. 

 f. 14. The distinguished ornithologist Wallace established on a 

 specimen of this kind his A. muelleri, in honour of a man to whom 

 the Museum of Leyden owes many treasures. 



Wallace, who correctly appreciates the difference between N. cru- 

 entus, Schlegel, and A. eruentus, Gould, established his Accipiter 

 ce.quaturialis on a middle-aged bird. Upon a careful examination, 

 traces of bands on the tail will be found. 



Amongst all Sparrow -Hawks this is the most powerful, and it has 

 the highest and strongest beak. That of the female is 19 mm. high. 

 Schlegel gives the length of the middle toe as 13'" to 19'"; the first of 

 these figures is clearly an error instead of 15'". The latter measure- 

 ment I took from an unusually small male iu the nestling-plumage. 



Hab. A\\ the Moluccas, where it is very common. 



Fig. 5. 



UrASPIZA. __L_ ji^ ^ 



As regards structure of wings these resemble the Teraspizce, and 

 they, like the latter, have the first to the fourth primaries emargi- 

 nated; but they have a longer tail, provided with from eight "to 



