BIRDS. 
29 
Tinnunculus Sparverius. Vieill. 
Falco sparverius, Linn, et Auct. 
I obtained specimens both from North and South Patagonia (Rio Negro and 
Santa Cruz), and Captain King found it at Port Famine in Tierra del Fnego. I 
saw it at Lima in Peru; and Mr. Macleay (Zoological Journal, vol. iii.) sent 
specimens from Cuba. According to Wilson it is common in the United States, 
and Richardson says its northern range is about 54°. The Tinnunculus therefore, 
ranges throughout both Americas over more than 107 degrees of latitude, or 6420 
geographical miles. It is the only bird, which I saw in South America, that 
hovered over one particular spot, in the same stationary manner, as the common 
English kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus , Linn.) is so frequently observed to do. 
Sub-Fam. — CIRCINdE. 
1. Circus megaspilus. Gould. 
Circus megaspilus, Gould, in Proceedings of the Zoological Society, Part V. 1837, p. 10. 
C. vertice corporeque supra intensb fuscis, lined stramined a naribus supra oculos ad 
occiput tendente ; hoc rufescenti-fusco ; primariis intensb fuscis ad basin cinereis, 
lineis nigris cancellatis ; caudce tectricibus albis ; rectricibus intermediis cinereis, 
externis cinereo-stramineis, omnibus lineis latis fuscis transversim notatis, lined 
ultima latissima, apice sordid b stramineo ; gula pectoreque stramineis, fusco varie- 
gatis ; corpore subtus stramineo ; plumis pectoris laterumque stria centrali fused 
notatis ; rostro nigro ; cerd tarsisque flavis. 
Long. tot. 22 unc. ; rostri, 1^; aloe, 17; caudce, 10^; tarsi , 3-g. 
Colour. — Head, back of throat, whole back, and wing-coverts umber brown, of 
a nearly uniform tint, and not very dark. Front, over the nostrils, with few 
fulvous bristly feathers ; over the eyes, extending backward, a pale almost 
pure white streak, which joins an irregular band, extending across the nape 
of the neck, from below ear to ear, of brown feathers, edged with pale fulvous, 
giving a streaked appearance to that part. The wing-coverts are just tipped 
with dirty white. Wings : primaries of the same brown as the back, the inner 
ones assuming a gray tinge ; these, and the basal parts of the inner webs of 
all, are obscurely barred ; secondaries and tertiaries of a paler brown than 
the interscapular region. Tail grayish brown, with five well-defined bars, 
