Genus — B U T A S T U B . 
Butastur Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Beng.^ Vol. XII., 
pt. I., p. 311, 1843 
Poliornis Kaup, Classif. Saugeth. u Vogel, p. 122, 1844 . . 
Buteopernis Jameson, Calcutta Journ. Nat. Hist., Vol. I., 
pp. 319, 320, 1841 ; nomen nudum. 
Pemopsis Bonaparte, Rev. Mag. de Zool. 1850, p. 481 . . 
Bupernis “ Hodgs.” Gray, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. 4, 
1855 (in synonymy) 
Valeria “ Boie M.S.S.” Gray, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, 
p. 4, 1855 (in synonymy) 
Type B. teesa. 
Type B. teesa. 
Type B. teesa. 
Type B. teesa. 
Type B. teesa. 
Smallest Aquiline birds with short bills, long pointed wings, long tail, long 
unfeathered legs and short toes. 
The biU is smaU with a large cere : the nostril is a rather oblique 
roimded aperture with no internal bony tubercle. 
The wings are long and very pointed, the feathers narrow ; the first 
piimaiy is short, but comparatively long and narrow ; the third is longest, 
the fourth almost equal, but both much longer than the second, which is 
about equal to the fifth, and longer than the sixth : the last exceeds the first 
and seventh, which are subequal. 
The tail is long and even, more than hah the length of the wing. 
The legs are long and unfeathered ; the tarsus is entirely covered with 
reticulate scales which are larger on the front and back and obscurely rdcall 
transverse scutes : it is more than one-third the length of the tail. 
The feet are small, the middle toe httle more than half the length of the 
tarsus. 
This peculiar form, which I do not admit as a legitimate constituent 
of the Austrahan Avifauna, has not yet been correctly placed, as it is obvious 
that it is out of place between the Little Eagle and the Sea Eagle. 
By craft suggests it would be included in the Buteoninse, but that appears 
to be a mere guess from the composition of the genus-name. In the same 
place, it will be noted, Py craft recorded : “ Haliaetus, there can be little 
doubt, has nothing to do with the Eagles.” Pernis is placed in the subfamily 
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