EEGERHINUS. — ICTINIA. 108 



Hab. Mexico, Uvero, Cosamaloapam, Chihuitan, Santa Efigenia, Cacoprieto, Tonala 

 (Sumichrast ^ ^). — South America to Bolivia *. 



H. megarhynchus is the large-billed form of R. uncinatus, first recorded from Bolivia, 

 later from Peru. We have a specimen from Bahia and another from the Upper Amazons; 

 Gurney mentioned a pair from Mexico in the Norwich Museum, and subsequently we 

 obtained a series from that country collected by Sumichrast. The changes of plumage 

 are identical with those of B. uncinatus and melanistic examples also occur. 



Sumichrast ^ states that its iris is white, the cere and lores green, the spot below the 

 nostril and eye yellow, the feet orange. In a fresh state the young may be easily 

 recognized by the yellow naked skin between the eye and the bill, so conspicuous in 

 the adult. Its habits are similar to those of L. cayennends, frequenting the vicinity of 

 water and feeding upon molluscs and gastropods. 



ICTINIA. 



Ictinia, Vieillot, Anal. p. 24 (1816) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 364. 



On account of its toothed bill. Dr. Sharpe has placed this genus in his subfamily 

 FalconinsD, together with Baza and Harpagus. Other important characters would, 

 however, in our opinion, suggest Ictinia being included among the Kites in the vicinity 

 of Elanus and Leptodon, although wanting the characteristic soft plumage of these 

 genera. The tail of Ictinia is not forked as in Elanus, and Mr. Ridgway distinguishes 

 the former genus by the transverse scutellse of the tarsus and the grooving of the 

 lower surface of the claws. 



Two species are known, /. mississippiensis and /. plumbea : the former an inhabitant 

 of the Southern United States and apparently rare in Central America ; the latter more 

 widely distributed throughout our region and in South America. 



1. Ictinia plumbea. 



Spotted-tailed Hobby, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. p. 106 '. 



Falco plumbeus, Gm. Syst, Nat. i. p. 283 '; Temm. Pi. Col. 180'. 



Ictinia plumbea, VieiU. N. Diet. d'Hist. N. xvi. p. 76 * ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 285 ' ; 1859, pp. 368 \ 



390^ Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 220"; Salv. Ibis, 1861, pp. 140', 146 '■>; 1890, pp. 84 ", 89 '%• 



P. Z. S. 1867, p. 158" ; 1870, p. 216" ; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 289"; Bull. U. S. 



Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 43 " ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 364 "; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. 



p. 237'' ; Boucard, P.Z. S. 1883, p. 457 " ; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 168". 



Supra nigricans, schistaceo adumbrata ; alis caudaque nigris, primariis intus castaneis, extua et ad apioem 

 nigris ; reotricibus intus maculis duabus albis fasoiatim notatis ; pileo et cervice clare cinereis, inter- 

 scapulio quoque clare cinereo lavato ; plumis anteoeularibus et palpebra nigris ; facie laterali et corpore 

 subtus toto cum subalaribus cinereis, gala vix pallidiore : rostro nigro ; pedibus brunneis ; iride coccinea. 

 Long, tota circa 12-5, alse 12-2, caudse 5-0, tarsi 1-45. (Desor. maris ex Peten. Mus. nostr.) 



5 mari similis, sed rectricibus fascia tertia basali alba. Long, tota circa 12-0, alse H-7. (Descr. feminae ex 

 Peten. Mus. nostr.) 



