ASTUR MELANOLEUCUS. 
Young. — The top and sides of the head, and the back and sides of the 
neck dull umber-brown ; the base and edges of each feather light yellowish 
brown ; the umber-brown on the sides of the head and neck in particular 
appears almost disposed in longitudinal streaks. The back, shoulders, quill 
coverts, tertiary quill feathers brown, each feather tipt with yellowish brown ; 
under parts white, shaded delicately with yellowish brown, and each feather 
streaked with umber brown in the course of the shaft; the streaks narrow, 
and broadest towards the points of the feathers ; primary and secondary quill 
feathers brown, freely barred with white ; the secondaries and several of the 
innermost primariestipt with yellowish brown. Tail, above brown, below 
livid white, and on both aspects crossed by five broad dark brown bands ; 
the two or three outermost feathers of each side have the spaces between the 
dark bars more or less clouded with tawny white ; the tips of all the tail 
feathers are of the same colour. Bill blackish brown, with slight indications 
of yellow upon the festoon and the base of the lower mandible. 
In specimens more advanced in age than the one represented in the plate, the upper parts 
are of a dull umber-brown, and the lower parts irregularly mottled, black and white. 
The form and strength of the legs and bill of this species clearly entitles it to be ranked as an 
Astur, if we are warranted in forming such a genus. It is a bird rarely found in South Africa, 
and with its habits I am quite unacquainted. It occurs most commonly in districts covered 
with high wood ; yet specimens have been killed not far from Cape Town, where nothing beyond 
a few dwarf trees existed. 
