UETJBITINGA. 79 



URUBITINGA. 



Urubitinga, Lesson, Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 133 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 212 j Ridgway, 

 Bull. U. S. Geol. & Geogr. Surv. ii. p. 167. 



This genus is peculiar to the New World, and all its known species occur within our 

 limits. It differs from Buteo and Asturina in habit and in plumage, the latter under- 

 going various phases in both the adult and young birds. The wings are remarkably 

 rounded, and the primaries are scarcely longer than the secondaries. Prof. Eidgway 

 regards Urubitinga as intermediate between the true Buzzards {Buteo) and the Harpies 

 {Thrasaetus and Morphnus)-, in our opinion, however, the genus must be considered 

 Buteonine in its affinities, though separable owing to its shorter wings and the 

 unmistakable character of its plumage. 



1. Urubitinga zonura, 



Falco urubitinga, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 265 \ 



Urubitinga urubitinga, Sharpe, Hand-1. Birds, i. p. 258'. 



Falco zonurus, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vii. p. 62'. 



Urubitinga zonura, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. York, vii. p. 316 * ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 213 ' ; 



Ridgw. Bull. U. S. Geol. & Geogr. Surv. ii. p. 168 ° ; Gurney, List Diurn. Birds Prey, 



pp. 77, 148 '. 



Nigra, pilei postici et nuchse plumis ad basin albis ; tectricibus caudse superioribus externis albis : subtus nigra, 

 tibiis albo maculatis ; alls subtus nigris, fasciis indistinctis fuscis ; subalaribus ad marginem alarum 

 quoque albo maculatis ; cauda nigra, albo terminata, fascia plus quam bitrienfce basali lata alba, ad basin 

 nigro interrupta ; rostro nigro ; cera et pedibus flavis. Long, tota circa 24-0, alae 16-0, caudse lO'O, 

 tarsi 4-7. (Desor. exempl. ex Nicoya, Costa Bica. Mus. nostr.) 



Edb. Costa 'Rica, Bebedero {E. Arci), Mcoya {Mus. Nbrv.^); Panama (M^Leannan^). 

 — Colombia'^; Ecuadoe''; Guiana ^j Amazons^; Beazil^; Aegentina^; Chile''. 



This species is widely distributed over South America, and only extends northwards 

 as far as Costa Eica, whence we have examples as recorded above. In the latter country 

 both TI. zonura and Z7. ridgwayi are found. In Nicaragua TI. ridgwayi apparently 

 alone occurs, and Professor Eidgway, after a careful examination of all the specimens 

 in the U. S. National Museum from that country, tells us he is of the same opinion. 



Z7. zonura is distinguished by its white upper tail-coverts, and by the large expanse 

 of white on the tail-feathers, this extending to the base, where it is slightly mottled 

 ■with black ; no second white bar is found in U. ridgway i. 



2. Urubitinga ridgwayi. 



Morphnus urubitinga, Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 227 \ 



Urubitinga zonura (nee Shaw), Scl. & Salvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 215'; P. Z. S. 1867, p. 280'; Lawr. 

 Ann. Lye. N. York, is. pp. 133", 207"; von Frantzius, J. f. Cm. 1869, p. 368'; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 213 (part.) ' ; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 302 ' ; BuU. U. S. 



