The Buzzards of the Himalaya and Tibet. 97 



Form. Head rather small, and moderately broad, rather rounded 

 than flat. Eye medial, with a strong brow. Bill short and much 

 curved from the brow ; broad and ample at the gape, which passes 

 under the eye, and gradually compressed forwards. Festoon distinct. 

 Hook moderate. Tip of lower mandible obliquely truncated without 

 notch. Cere large, but nearly hid by the thick-set soft plumuli 

 which cover the lores and sides of the cere, and advance so far forward 

 as nearly to hide the ovoid longitudinal nares. Wings ample, reach- 

 ing within 1 or 1^ inch of end of tail ; third quill longest. Emargi- 

 nation of the great quills strong and high up as in Buteo. Tail 

 slightly rounded, nearly even. Tarsi plumed to the toes, somewhat 

 elevate, more so than in Buteo. Toes short, unequal, Buteonine : 

 the outer, basally membraned : the inner, nearly free. Acropodia 

 reticulate, with four perfect scales, next each talon. Talons medial, 

 unequal, Buteonine. 



Colour. A saturate dull brown, like the Moor Buzzard, largely 

 emarignated on each plume of the head and neck, with brownish- 

 cinnamon ; and the great alars and caudals internally blanched ; the 

 dark hue showing like bars, large and remote, upon the inner vanes 

 of those plumes. Cere and legs greenish-yellow. Bill leaden-blue 

 with black tip. Talons black. Iris said to be pale, probably whity- 

 brown, or brownish aureous. 



Dimensions. Length 2oin. ; of bill to gape lfira. ; to brow 

 \\in. ; of tail \2in. ; of tarse 3|m. ; of central toe and talon 2in. ; 

 of hind ditto 1-fw. ; of closed wing 18m. 



Habitat. — Tibet : never met with on this side the Himalaya. 



Description of Plate III. 



Fig. 1, Archibuteo cryptogenys or Booted Buzzard of Tibet ; 6. foot and 

 leg. 



Fig. 2, Merva Jcrdonii, Hodgson, of preceding article, p. 46. 



Darjeeling, May, 1847. 



