BIRDS — BUTEONINAE — BUTEO INSIGNATUS. 



23 



List of specimens. 



Sub- Genus Leucopternis. 

 BUTEO INSIGNATUS, C a s s i n . 



Buteo insignatus, Cassin, B. of Cal. and Texas, p. 103, (1854,) pi. 31. 



Adult male. — Under coverts of the wings and tail white ; the former striped longitudinally with pale rufous, and the latter 

 transversely with reddish brown ; edges of wings at the shoulder nearly pure white ; tibiee rufous irregularly barred with brow n ; 

 throat and a few feathers of the forehead white, each feather having a line of dark brown, or nearly black. 



Entire other plumage above and below dark brown, every feather having a darker, or nearly black, central line. Quills 

 above brown, with a slight purple lustre ; beneath pale cinereous, with their shafts white, and with irregular transverse bands 

 of white. Tail above dark brown, with an ashy or hoary tinge, and having about ten transverse bands of a darker shade of the 

 same color ; beneath nearly white, with conspicuous transverse bands of brown, the widest of which is subterminal ; tip paler, 

 or nearly white ; bill dark ; cere, tarsi, and toes, yellow. 



Female, nearly adult. — Like the preceding, but with the upper plumage darker, and the entire under parts dark rufous chest- 

 nut ; darker on the breast, quite uniform on the flanks and abdomen, and every feather having the shaft darker brown, nearly 

 black. Throat, forehead, under wing coverts, and under tail coverts white. Tail as in the preceding. 



Young. — Under parts reddish white ; every feather with a large terminal oblong spot of dark brown, and on the abdomen 

 and tibiae with numerous transverse stripes of the same color. 



Entire upper parts dark brown ; on the back of the head and neck white at base, and edged with reddish ; scapulars and 

 greater ouverts of the wing with large partially concealed rufous spots. Under wing coverts pale reddish white, with large 

 brown spots ; under tail coverts very pale reddish white, with a few stripes and lines of brown. 



Dimensions. — Male adult, total length about 17 inches ; wing 14 j, tail 7^ inches. Female, total length about I95 inches; 

 wing 16, tail 9 inches. 



The preceding are tlie three stages of plumage which characterize specimens brought by 

 the expeditions. The first is precisely identical with that originally described by us, as above 

 cited, which was obtained in the vicinity of Montreal, Canada. 



The second specimen, above described, was obtained on the North Platte river by the party 

 commanded by Lieutenant F. T. Bryan, United States army, while engaged in surveying a 

 route for a wagon road to Bridger's Pass, in the Eocky mountains. In this specimen the under 

 parts of the body are chestnut rufous, as described above, in which respect it difi'ers from the 

 presumed and probable adult. 



