86 FALCONID^. 



nucha striatis : subtus plaga magna pectorali nigra, corpore loto reliquo castaneo ; alis nigris, sabalaribu» 

 minoribns et mediis castaneis, majoribus nigricantibus ; cauda nigra, bitriente basali castanea nigro 

 fasciata ; rostro nigricante, pedibus flavidis. Long, tota circa 18-0, alas 14-8, caudse 7-0, tarsi 3-5. 

 (Descr. exempl. ex Santana Mixtan, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 

 Juv. corpore supra irregulariter fuseo fasciato ; subtus abdomine antico cervino, nigro striato, postico castaneo 

 et cervino variegato ; tibiis cervinis, fusco fasciatis. (Descr. feminae juv. ex Peten, Guatemala. Mns. 

 nostr.) 



Eai. Mexico, Mazatlan (Grayson^), Presidio de Mazatlan (Forrer), Los Ventorrillos 



near Tlacotalpam {Sumichrast^°), Vera Crnz (SaUe'') ; Guatemala, Huamnchal 



(0. S. & F. D. G.), Santana Mixtan {0. S.% Duenas, Lake Peten {0. S. & F. 1). G.) ; 



Nicaragua, Omotepe [NvUing i^), Greytown {Bichmond ^^) ; Costa Eica, La Palma 



{NuUing "), Las Trojas, Liberia {Zeledon i^) ; Panama {Arce), R. Truando ( Wood*^, 



Shott^), Laguna de Pita {Festa^^). — ^omR Ameeica, Colombia, Guiana i^, 



Amazonia ^. 



Essentially Neotropical in its distribution, B. nigricollis is found in localities suitable 



to its habits throughout our region, and in South America it extends to Guiana, 



Amazonia, and Brazil, as far south as the Rio Pilcomayo. 



Judging from our specimens, its distribution is decidedly local, and Sumichrast found 

 it of rare occurrence in the parts of Mexico which he explored. In Guatemala we 

 observed it was not uncommon about the forest-swamps of the low district in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Santana Mixtan. From the stomach of one shot in this locality we took 

 the scales of a fish, which, together with the strong smell from the claws, left no doubt 

 as to the nature of its food 5. At La Palma, in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, 

 Mr. Nutting found it in the vicinity of the " Zapotal," a large freshwater lagoon ; it 

 was abundant and fearless ^^. The same observer states that it also inhabits the island 

 of Omotepe, in Lake Nicaragua, seeming to prefer low swampy country. 



Grayson writes that its flight is heavy, resembling that of the common Fish-Hawk, 

 the wings being broad and the taU very short. The stomach of a bird he examined 

 contained the recently devoured remains of fish, amongst them a species of perch 

 found in the neighbouring lagoons and rivers. 

 Of the nest and eggs we have as yet no record. 



HETEROSPIZIAS. 

 Heterospiziaa, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 160 ; Ridgw. Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. ii. p. 139. 



This is a form peculiar to the Neotropical Region, represented by a single species of 

 wide distribution on the South- American continent, just reaching to Panama and thus 

 entering our region. It resembles Urubitivga, but the wings are longer and more 

 pointed, like those of the Tachytriorchis-section of the genus Buteo. The style of 

 coloration is also quite peculiar, and there is no marked distinction between the 

 plumage of the old and young birds. 



