14G Descriptions of some supposed New, or 



Buteo ( ButasterJ fasciatus — New Species. 



An interesting raptorial bird seemingly belonging to the 

 group Butaster* Hodgson, was sent to me from Malacca, and 

 which I now describe as probably new, under the provisional 

 name of fasciatus. Plumage above deep smoky brown ; 

 lores^ brown cinereous, and so distinct in hue from the sur- 

 rounding feathers as to be readily remarked. A white supef - 

 ciliary stripe commences over the middle of the ears, a few 

 of the feathers springing from the nostrils having white shafts 

 and centres. The throat and chin are white, a black stripe 

 extending longitudinally from the chin down the middle of 

 the throat ; a parallel black stroke bounds the white on each 

 side ; the upper part of the breast is of a uniform brown, 

 but the lower part, the belly and flanks, thigh coverts*- and 

 vent, have each of their respective feathers alternately and 

 transversely banded with light brown and white, presenting a 

 fasciated appearance ; the shafts of these feathers are deep 

 brown and preserve a uniform colour even when passing 

 through the white. The upper tail coverts are of a similar 

 hue with the rest of the upper parts, though some of them in 

 my specimen are broadly tipped with white. The tail is 

 smoky brown, broadly barred with three distinct transverse 

 black bands, and one much fainter near the base ; the shafts 

 of the tail feathers are 1 light or dark as they pass through 

 either the light or dark parts of the tail. The under shoulder 

 coverts are marked with light rufous brown upon a white 

 ground, the under basal half of the wings is white, the tips 

 of the primaries are black, while the quills are crossed by 

 two or three straggling dark bands, The first quill is two- 

 thirds the length of the wing, and much shorter than the 

 second, which is a little shorter than the fifth, the third and 

 fourth being equal and longest. The bill is black with the gape 

 and basal half of the lower mandible dirty yellow in the dried 



* Now Poliornh. 



