230 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



Heterospizias meridionalis Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 160, 1874 ; 

 Salvin, Ibis, 1SS6, p. 7-i; Quelch, Timehri (2) vi. p. 155, 1S92 ; 

 Braboume & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 66, no. 609, 1912. 



"Great-winged Red Buzzard" {Quelch). 



Adult female. Entire plumage composed ot rufous and brown. 

 The under surface rufous narrowly barred with brown : crown of 

 head rufous with greyish brown shaft-streaks; back pale brown ; 

 distal portion of quills and tail blacki.sh, the latter mottled^ banded, 

 and ti[iped with white. 



Total length 520 mm., culnien 36, wing -115. tail 107, tarsus 

 106, middle toe and claw 64. 



We do not know the exact locality, in British Guiana, oE the 

 female described. 



Adult male. Similar to the adult female but smaller. Wing 

 •410 mm. 



JJreedin(f-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



^est. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



Efi'js. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



RanpR in British Guiana. Upper Takutu Mountains (.Uc Connell 

 collection). 



K.ttralimital Range. South America generall}- to Argentina, 



Habits. Schoraburgk writes (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 7-40) that this 

 l.irge and beautiful bird of prey is esj ecially common on the boggy 

 parts of the Savannas, where it hunts its j)iey which, apparently, 

 consists of reptiles onlv. Before alighting on the ground it settles 

 lor a wbile, as a rule, on an isolated tree. He usually found it in 

 pairs ; it generally appears immediately there is a Savanna fire. 



We quote the following notes from Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timehri 

 (2) vi. p. 155): — "The Great-winged Red Buzzard (IJeterosjnzias 

 meridionalis). What has been said of the habits, occurrence, and 

 distribution of the two preceding species *, applies equally w^ell to 

 this form, which, however, seems to be a much more active bird, 

 with stronger and more rapid flight — and it is much more fre- 

 quently seen sweeping along on the wing, especially over the wet 

 savannahs and swampy places, than eitber ot the others. The 

 habits of tlie two preceding species, Busarellus nir/ricollis and 

 Biiteogallus cpquinoctialis, are as follows : These birds resort in 

 search of crabs, .shells, shrimps, fish, etc., on which they delight 

 to feed, and where they will frequently be met with, either on 

 the stumps or tall trees, or on the mud-flat itself." 



* Busarellus nigricoUi>s aud Buteogallus (e'^iuinoctialis. 



