HERPETOTHERES. 201 



Genns HERPETOTHERES Yieill. 



Kerpetotlieres Vieillot, N. Diet. cVHist. Nat. xviii. p. 317, 1817. Type 

 S. cacliinnans (Linn.). 



This monotjpic p;enus is distingiiisbed by haA'ing the tarsi 

 bare on the lower portion, the nostrils circular, and in having the 

 tarsi reticulate on the frontal portion, 



IGo. Herpetotlieres cachinnans. 

 Laughing Hawk. 



Folco cacliinnans Linn. S^'st. Nat. 10th eel. i. p. 90, 1758 (Caj'-enne). 



Herpetotlieres cacliinnans Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. iii. p. 738, 

 1848 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 278, 1874 (British Guiana) ; 

 Salvin, Ibis, 1886, p. 77; Quelcb, Tiraebri (2) v. p. 105, 1891 

 (Georgetown) ; id. op. cit. vi. pp. 120, 132, 1892 (habits). 



" Crested or Laughing Falcon, '^ " Black-faced Chicken-Hawk*' 

 (Qnelch). 



Adult female. C^rown of head, collar round hind-neck, and entire 

 underparts creamy-white, with dark shaft-lines to the feathers, 

 more pronounced on the head and axillaries ; lores, sides of face, 

 and a line above the eye black, the line extending on to the hind- 

 neck, where it forms a collar ; back, wings, and tail dark brown ; 

 the tail barred and tipped with white, or creamy-white, as are 

 also the primary and secondary quMls. " Bill black ; feet orange ; 

 iris hazel." 



Total length 410 mm., cnlmen 25, wing 278, tail 210, tarsus 60, 

 middle toe and claw 58. 



The female descrii^ed was collected on the A])ary River. 



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

 Wing 260 mm. 



JBreedinr/seosou. Unknown in British Guiana. 



Nest. " Its nest is com[)Osed of twigs and built on moderately 

 tall trees" {Sc/iomlnnyl). 



J'^dfjs. Undescribod from British Guiana. 



Range in Brili-dt Guiana. Upper Takutu Mountains, Essecpicbo 

 Itiver, Abary River {McConvell collection) ; Savannas (Sriiont- 

 huiujk) ; Georgetown (Qnelch). 



Kxiralimital Range. Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Paragnay, and 

 Central America to Mexico. 



Ilahifs. According to Scliombnrgk (Reis. Guian. iii. ]k T.\S) 

 this bird was observed by him in tiio woods near the cuist and in 

 th(j oasis on the Savannas. It makes itself conspicuous by its loud 



