Plate LXI. 



LEUCOPTERNIS SEMIPLUMBEA. 





(SEMIPLTJMBEOUS BUZZABD). 



Leucopternis sem 



Lawr. Ann. Lye. N". Y. vii. p. 288. 



Supra plumbea, alis caudaque nigricantibus : hujus fasciis duabus angustis, altera inferiore perfecta, altera 

 superiore imperfecta, cum toto corpore subtus albis : rostro nigro, basi et cera cum pedibus aurantiacis ; unguibus 

 nigris : long, tota 14-0, also 8'0, caudsB 5'0, rostri a rictu 1*1, tarsi 22. 



Hah. in Isthmo Panamensi (McLeannan) : rep. Costa-Ricensi (Carmiol). 



In 1861 Mr. George N. Lawrence described this distinct species of Buzzard from a single 

 specimen obtained by Mr. J. McLeannan on the Panama railway-line. The bird, however, 

 remained quite unknown to us until a short time since, when we had the gratification of 

 recognizing a single individual in a Costa-Rican collection received from Mr. J. Carmiol. This 

 skin, from which our figure (reduced to two-thirds of the natural dimensions) has been prepared, 

 is now in the collection of Messrs. Salvin and Godman. It was procured at Valza in Costa 

 Rica in February of the present year. It is marked as a female, but appears to be rather 

 smaller in dimensions than the specimen described by Mr. Lawrence. 



In form Leucopterm's semiplumbea appears to be a typical species of this genus, but is 

 easily recognizable by its small size, and by the uniform plumbeous colour of the whole upper 

 surface. There are some slight indications of narrow shaft-stripes on the neck, but the plumage 

 below is otherwise of a pure white. The under- wing- coverts and greater part of the remiges 

 below are of the same spotless colour, but the apical portions of the latter are slaty with darker 

 margins and cross-bands. The fifth primary is rather longer than the fourth, and longest— the 

 first being shorter than the secondaries and measuring 5*8 in. from the carpal joint. 



The known species of Leucopternis are eight in number. We have now seen specimens of 

 all of them, and propose to arrange them as follows : — 



A — Corpore subtus omnino albo. 

 a. capite toto albo. 



1. L. GHIESBEEGHTI. 



Buteo glieshreghti, Du Bus, Esq. Orn. t. 1 : Scl. & Saly. Ibis, 1859, p. 217 : Scl. P.Z.S. 1857, p. 227 : Salv. P.Z.S. 

 1867, p. 158 : Lawr. Ann. Lye. K". T. vii., p. 288 : Cab. J. f. Orn. 1853, p. 38. Asturina glieshreghti, Schl. Mus. 

 des P. B. Asturince, p. 11. 



Hah. America centralis a Mexico merid. ad. isthm. Panamensem. 



[121] 



