280 WHITE-TAILED HAWK. 
ones are slightly serrated on their outer web. When closed, 
the wings reach within less than an inch of the tip of the 
tail. The tail is seven inches long, slightly emarginated, 
and with the outer feather more than half an inch shorter 
than the adjoining one ; the middle feathers are very pale 
bluish slate, all the others pure white; shafts above, black 
towards the tip, and beneath white; that of the exterior 
tail-feather white, tipt with dusky above towards the base; 
feet, bright yellow orange ; tarsus, one inch and a half long, 
feathered in front half its length, the remainder covered with 
small reticulated scales; toes separated to the base ; nails, 
large, black, very acute, and, with the exception of the 
middle one, perfectly rounded beneath; the middle one is 
very sharp on the inner side. 
The male is of a smaller size; the upper surface, instead of 
being bluish slate, is more of a dirty greyish, slightly tinged 
with ferruginous ; the tail is less purely white. These sexual 
differences are the more worthy of note, as they are the reverse 
of what is exhibited in other hawks. It is, however, possible 
that they are not to be found in very old males. 
The young of both sexes, but especially the young males, 
are somewhat darker, and are strongly tinged with ferruginous, 
principally on the head, neck, and wings; the breast being 
entirely of that colour. A specimen of the African species in 
this state is figured by Le Vaillant, whose plates in general 
are tolerably accurate ; but how great is the disappointment 
of the ornithologist to find the tarsi represented as covered 
distinctly with plates, as in other hawks! We cannot let pass 
this opportunity of exhorting engravers, draughtsmen, and all 
artists employed on works of natural history, never to depend 
on what they are accustomed to see, but in all cases to copy 
faithfully what they have under their eyes ; otherwise, taking 
for granted what they ought not, they will inevitably fall into 
these gross errors. Even the accurate Wilson himself, or 
rather perhaps his engraver, has committed the same error in 
representing the feet of the swallow-tailed hawk. Of what 

