82 FALCONID.E, 



was twenty-two inches. The wings, which reach nearly to 

 the end of the tail, measured fifteen inches ; the tarsus three 

 inches ; the middle toe, including the claw, two and a quarter 

 inches, and the hinder toe and claw about two inches. The 

 feet are yellow ; the iris yellow in the greater number of 

 specimens, but, like those of the common buzzard, subject to 

 variation, being in some brown and in others greyish white. 



A very dark mottled specimen is sometimes obtained, but 

 does not appear yet to have fallen into the hands of any 

 British naturalist. It is in its general aspect much darker 

 than the one figured ; the whole head, neck, and breast, 

 are black, the feathers bordered with reddish white ; the 

 band above the thighs is white, crossed with black lines ; 

 the thighs and feathered tarsi are rufous, crossed with many 

 narrow black bars, the black occupying rather the greater 

 portion : in these specimens the tail is white, banded near 

 the tip with a broad black bar, above which are four or five 

 narrower bars of the same colour. In some of these speci- 

 mens the throat and sides of the body are quite black, very 

 narrowly streaked with yellowish white : these are considered 

 to be the oldest birds. In autumn, after moulting, all are 

 darker than in the summer, at which time the plumage has 

 become faded. Temminck describes this variety but does 

 not say to what age he considers it referable. The egg marked 

 16 belongs to the Rough-legged Buzzard. 



