NOTE ON BUTEO DESERTORUM AND PLUMIPES. 67 



Ascertained and presumed females of Buteo plumipes. 



Wing. Tarsus. Bare Front of 

 Tarsus. 

 $ (so marked by the late M. 



Jules Verreaux) Japan ... 15 3 2 6 09 

 ? (so marked by Mr. Swinboe) 



Amoy, China ... 152 2 7 la 



Presumed ? ditto ... 15'65 26 12 



Ditto ? Himalayas ... 1G8 29 14 



Ditto ? ditto ... 16*7 3' 12 



Ditto $ Ceylon, in the 



collection of the Marquis 



of Tweeddale ... 1Q 6 3-2 17 



None of these specimens of Buteo plumipes are in the fuligi- 

 nous plumage, but one of the Himalayan examples appears to 

 be passing into it from the rufous phase ; it will be observed 

 that the three last specimens on the above list are unusually 

 large examples of Buteo plumipes, but after careful examina- 

 tion, I am of the opinion that they must be referred to that 

 species. 



It may be useful to refer briefly to the figures which have 

 been published of Buteo desertorum and of Buteo plumipes ; these 

 are, as regards Buteo desertorum, first " LeRougri" of Le 

 Vaillant, pi. 17, and the " Falco cirtensis" of L'exploration de 

 l'Algerie, pi. 3, both which represent un faded adults of Buteo 

 desertorum in the pale-chested phase which not unfrequently 

 occurs, but in LeVaillant's plate and description the color of the 

 bill is incorrectly given ; secondly, (i Falco tachardus"" of the 

 first and Buteo desertorum of the second edition of Bree's Birds 

 of Europe ; this figure, which is the same in both editions, also 

 represents an unfaded adult, but iu the rufous-breasted phase 

 which is somewhat more frequent than the pale breasted ; lastly 

 the two figures iu Dresser's Birds of Europe, one of which re- 

 presents a male, which Mr. Dresser describes as adult, but which 

 j udgiug from the figure, I think has scarcely attained its fully adult 

 dress, and has, moreover, a considerable portion of its plumage 

 somewhat faded by exposure to the sun and weather ; the other 

 figure in Mr. Dresser's plate represents an immature specimen 

 in which the dark transverse bars on the lower flauks and 

 on the tail are exceptionally distinct and conspicuous. 



Of Buteo plumipes " I am acquainted with but four figures ; 

 viz., those in the Fauna Japonica," which represent the only 

 two phases of plumage in this buzzard which I have seen 

 from Japan and China ; Jerdon's figure of his " Buteo 

 rufiventer," which resembles in the character of its markings 



