384 
WHITE-TAILED HAWK. 
greyish white, with black shafts ; all the feathers have dark 
cinereous towards the point, and are tipped with white. 
This species is an inhabitant of a great portion of the Ame- 
rican continent, as the Alcon hlanco of Paraguay, so well descri- 
bed by D’Azara, is undoubtedly the same bird. Vieillot un- 
dertook to classify it from D’Azara’s description, applying to 
it the name of Milvus leucurus ; but, after more attentive con- 
sideration, he perceived that it was not a Milvus, but an Elanus, 
He consequently removed it to that genus, which he called 
Elanoides, at the same time asserting, that with the swallow- 
tailed hawk, it ought to constitute a different section from the 
black- winged hawk ; from which, upon actual comparison, it 
is with difficulty shown to be even specifically distinct ! Such 
are the absurdities into which authors are betrayed, through 
the highly reprehensible practice to which some are addicted, 
of attempting to classify and name animals they have never 
seen, from the descriptions, or mere indications, of travellers. 
Though, by such means, they may sometimes gain the credit 
of introducing a new species, and thus deprive future obser- 
vers, who may risk their fortunes, or even their lives, in pur- 
suit of imperfectly known animals, of their best reward, they 
cannot fail to incur the merited reprobation of all honourable 
and fair-dealing naturalists. 
Though this bird ranges so widely over the American conti- 
nent, it is every where a rare species, and in the United States 
appears to be confined to the southern extremity. The speci- 
men figured in the plate, of the natural size, was shot in De- 
cember, in the neighbourhood of St Augustine, East Florida, 
at the residence of my near relation. Colonel Achilles Murat, 
whose kind hospitality afforded to Mr Titian Peale every faci- 
lity for the prosecution of his scientific researches. It was ob- 
served by Mr Peale, about the dawn of day, sitting on the dead 
branch of an old live oak, attentively watching the borders of 
an adjacent salt marsh, which abounded with A 
and the different species of sparrow, which make their residence 
in the southern parts of the Union. It was very shy, and, on 
