FALCONID^ 



CIRCUS 



375 



Vet. Ahad. Handl. Stoclch. ii, no. 10, p. 48 (1858) [Cape div.] ; Gurvey, 

 Ibis, 1859, p. 242, 1860, p. 204 [Natal] ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 35 (1867) ; 

 Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 464 [Transvaal] ; id. ed. Anders'son's B. Bama- 

 raland, p. 34 (1872) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. i, p. 71 (1874) ; Buckley, Ibis, 

 1874, p. 359 [Natal] ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 14, 795 

 (1875-84) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 65 [Durban] ; Gurneij, Ibis, 1875, p. 

 223 ; Ayres, Ibis, 1878, p. 283 [Potchefstroom] ; Oates, Matabeleland, 

 p. 297 [Pretoria] ; Holub iV PeUeln, Orn. Sud-AfriJcas, p. 38 (1882; 

 [Bechuanaland] ; Butler, Feilden, amd Beid, Zool. 1882, p. 38 [New- 

 castle] ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 153 (1896) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. 

 p. 140 (1899) ; Beichenow, Vog. Afr. i., p. 540 (1901). 

 ' Kikvorsch-vanger " (i.e., Frog-catclier) of the Dutch. 



Fig. 127. — Circus ranivorus. x -f. 



Description. — Above, dark brown; the feathers of the nape, 

 facial ruff, shoulders and wing-coverts edged and tipped with white ; 

 primaries nearly black, but marbled with white on the basal half of 

 the inner web ; primary coverts and secondaries barred across with 

 ashy-grey and slightly tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts rufous 

 with a few whitish spots and tips ; tail ashy tipped with white, with 

 indications, more or less distinct, of six or seven dark sepia cross 

 bands ; below, breast dark brown, many of the feathers edged with 

 white, especially on the lower breast, becoming dark rufous on the 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts ; tail-feathers hardly showing any 

 trace of bars below. 



Iris yellow ; bill black ; cere greenish-yellow; feet light yellow ; 

 claws black. 



