POLYBORUS OCHROCEPHALUS, (nobis). 

 Yellow-headed Caraqara. 



PLATE II.— -Adult Mak. 



P. capite, nucha, pectore abdomineque sordide ochraceis, striga ab oculis supra auii- 

 culis nigra ; dorso absque extremitate cauda? nigris. 

 Long. 14 pollices. 



Milvago ochrocephalus, Spix et Martius, Nov. Spec. Av. Brasiliensium, PL 5. 



A he male of this species is figured by Spix and Martius, in that part of 

 their splendid work entitled " Novae Species Avium Brasiliensium," under 

 the name of Milvago ochrocephala, and forms the type of that genus, being 

 separated by these naturalists from the Polyborus of M. Vieillot. The 

 chief difference is in the shape of the tail, and in the greater covering of the 

 cheeks and space between the eyes and the bill, or rather in a slight modifi- 

 cation of Vieillot's characters, and in a group so very limited, we prefer 

 retaining it in its old station rather than form a new genus upon these dis- 

 crepancies only. 



The length of the male is fourteen inches. The head, neck, breast, and 

 belly, are of a dull ochre-yellow colour, on the head and upper part of the 

 neck mixed with feathers of a darker shade. A broad streak of black passes 

 from the eyes above the auricular feathers. The back, wings, and extremity 

 of the tail, are very deep brownish-black ; the base of the quill and tail fea- 

 thers yellowish-white, barred and spotted with brownish-black ; the rump 

 and under tail-coverts are white : the legs and feet are bluish-black. 



The female is about an inch and a quarter longer than the male ; the 

 black streak over the eyes is very indistinctly marked, but there is no differ- 

 ence in the other parts of the plumage. 



The specimen from which the accompanying drawing and description 

 were taken, was brought in 1825 from the Brazils by Dr Such, and, together 

 with the female, is now in the museum of the Zoological Society of London. 



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