94 FALCONID^. 



Nisaetus and, as with those birds, the tarsus is closely feathered to the base of the 

 toes. 



It is a purely Neotropical genus, ranging over the greater part of tropical South 

 America and extending as far north as the Mexican State of Vera Cruz. 



1. Spiziastar melanoleucus. 



Buteo melanoleucus, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. iv. p. 482 '. 



Spizaetus melanoleucus, Sc\. &. ^sh. Ibis, 1859, p. 215 ^ P. Z. S. 1864, p. 369'; Lawr. Ann. 



Lye. N. Y. ix. p. 132 * ; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 38 ' ; v. Frantz. J. £. Orn. 1869, 



p. 368 ' ; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 456 \ 

 Spiziastur melanoleucus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 258'; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 236'; 



Perrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 167 " ; Stone, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1890, p. 205 ". 



Supra niger, alis extus brunnescentioribus, capitis postici et cristaB plumis ad basin albis ; pileo antico, cerviois 

 lateribua et corpore toto subtus albis ; loris nigris ; subalaribus albis, remigibus subtus ad basia albis, 

 ad apicem fuscis albo indistincte fasciatis ; Cauda nigra, apice albida fusco quadrifasciata ; rostro nigro ; 

 cera, mandibulse basi et digitis flavis. Long, tofca circa 24-0, alse 16-0, caudaB 10-0, tarsi 3"2. (Descr. 

 maris ex Huamucbal, Guatemala. Mus. uostr.) 



Hah. Mexico, Jalapa {Ferrari-Perez i"), Santa Efigenia ^ ^, Uvero ^ {Sumichrast), Tizimin 

 {Alcala"^), near Tekanto and Sitilpech-(6'#orae & Baker ^^) ; Guatemala {Skinner^}, 

 Huamuchal, Savan a Grande ((^.»S. <& P.I). G.)\ Nicaragua, Matagalpa (^?cAa?*(iso/») ; 

 Costa Eica, Tucurriqui {E. Arce), La Palma {Zeledon 4), Esparza, Pacuar, San Jose 

 {v. Frantzius^); Panama, Veraguas {E. Arce), Lion Hill {M'Leannan^). — South 

 America to Guiana and E. Brazil ^. 



This species is an inhabitant of the forest-regions of the lowlands of Central and 

 South America, extending its range northwards as far as the middle of the State of 

 Vera Cruz. It has been found in Yucatan, as well as on both the Atlantic and Pacific 

 slopes of Central America, being everywhere a somewhat scarce bird. The only 

 specimen we obtained in Guatemala was shot at Huamuchal, when we visited the 

 freshwater fisheries of that district in the spring of 1863. The bird was resting on 

 an upper branch of a high tree, in which it hung after it was shot, so that the tree 

 had to be cut down before we could get it. Huamuchal is nearly at the sea-level, 

 but the bird occurs at higher elevations, as an example was brought to us, during 

 our stay at Dueiias, from Savana Grande, which is about 3000 feet above the sea. 



Subfam. MILVINM. 



Though the Kites do not form a very marked group, it is perhaps more convenient 

 to recognize them as a subfamily. If the genera are dispersed amongst other subfamilies, 

 as placed by Dr. Sharpe, they seem, in our opinion, to introduce a discordant element : 

 thus, Elanoides and Planus are much out of place in the Aquiline, following the Sea- 



