WIIXTE-TAILED IIAWK. 
19 
tttas deprive future observers, wbo may risk their 
fortunes, or even their lives, in pursuit of imperfectly 
known animals, of their best reward, they cannot fail 
to incur the merited reprobation of all honourable and 
‘air-dealing naturalists. 
1'hough this bird ranges so widely over the American 
continent, it is every where a rare species, and in the 
United States appears to be confined to the southern 
en ?ity- Tins specimen was shot in December, in 
the neighbourhood of St Augustine, East Florida, at 
'e residence of my near relation, Colonel Achilles 
urat, whose kind hospitality afforded to Mr Titian 
eale every facility for the prosecution of his scientific 
researches. It was observed by Mr Peale, about the 
awn of day, sitting on the dead branch of an old live 
oak, attentively watching the borders of an adjacent 
salt marsh, which abounded with Arvicola hispidus, 
and the different species of sparrow, which make their 
residence in the southern parts of the Union. It was 
very shy , and, on his approach, it flew in easy circles 
a moderate elevation; and such was its vigilance, 
nit the greater part of a day was spent in attempting 
0 get within gunshot. At length the cover of inter- 
posing bushes enabled him to effect his purpose. It 
' as a . beautiful female, in perfect adult plumage. This 
j CX ’ ? n f' le perfect state, is now for the first time 
escribed, Temminck’s plate representing the young 
emu e only ; and even the figures of the African 
na ogue, m Le \ affiant's work, exhibit only the male 
n ie young and adult states. As usual in the tribe 
pi edaceous birds, the female is much larger than the 
male, and is therefore, entitled to precedence. 
11 l0U gh th- speeies i s so rare, its near relative, the 
ulack-wmged hawk, appears, on the contrary, to be 
' ery numerous. In Africa, where it was first discovered, 
• Uld "'Inch is probably its native country, it is rather a 
fommon species, and has a very extensive range. Le 
1 Vni tVe T 1, ‘ ntl >' observed it on the eastern coast of that 
>ttle known continent, from Duyven-Hoek to Caffraria, 
where, however, it is less common. The same traveller 
