232 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



Habits. According to Scliomburgk (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 739), 

 tliis bird frequents the oasis on the Savannas in large numbers, and 

 its liabits are the same as those o£ the other birds of prey. 



Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timchri (2) vi. p. IGO) writes :— "This bird 

 is common all over the country, but especially so about the low 

 bush near the savannah streams, such as on the Abary districts, 

 where it is often seen floating in the air, over the flooded or 

 swampy parts especially. Like the Harrier, it goes by the common 

 name of ' Snake-Hawk,' though ' Big-chicken Hawk ' is also 

 just as commonly used.'' 



148. Tacliytriorcliis abbreviatus. 

 Zone-tailed Buzzard. 



Bnteo ahhreviatus Cub. in Sclaomb. Eeis. Guian. iii. p. 739, 1848 

 (Upper Pomeroon Eiver) ; Salvin, Ibis, 1SS6, p. 72. 



Tachi/triorchis ohhrei-iaius Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 163, 1874; 

 Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 66, no. 612, 1912. 



The following is a translation of Cabanis' description : — General 

 appearance = B. ptcrodes. General coloration blackish, tail 

 somewhat paler with black transverse bars. The feathers of the 

 nape, as well as the greater part of the small feathers on the body, 

 Avhite at the base and white spots near the edge, which is black ; 

 these black ends cover the white when the bird sits quiet and can 

 only be seen when the feathers are raised a little. Inner webs of 

 flight-feathers (with the exception of the anterior ^) and inner 

 webs of the tail-feathers dirty white with black bar lines. Bill 

 and claws black. Cere and feet yellow. The Berlin Museum has 

 one specimen of the above s[)ecies from Mexico. A close com- 

 parison of this bird with the Buteo Iiarlani Audub., at present 

 unknown to me, will show an affinity to each other. Total length 

 17-9-18-8 inches (English), bill 1-2, wing 14-3, tail 7-75, 

 tarsus 2*33. 



TliC bird which C'abanis described is not available at the present 

 tim<% but it ap})ears, from his description, to be the same as Buteo 

 alhonotatus Gray. There is no bird of this kind in the McConnell 

 collection, neither can we find any from British Guiana in the 

 collection at the British Museum. 



The two exam})les collected l)y Whitely, one from Mount lioraiuia 

 and the other from the Merume Mountains, recorded by Salvin in 

 the ' Ibis,' 1886, p. 72, belong to B. vnicolor d'Orb. 



Breedinq-season. Unknown in British Guiann. 



