WHITE-TAILED HAWK. 
17 
third ; the second longest ; the two outer ones are 
slightly serrated on their outer web. When closed, 
the wings reach within less than an inch of the tip 
of the tail. The tail is seven inches long, slightly 
emarginated, and with the outer feather more than 
half an inch shorter than the adjoining one ; the middle 
feathers are very pale bluish slate, all the others pure 
white ; shafts above, black towards the tip, and beneath, 
white ; that of the exterior tail-feather, white, tipped 
with dusky above towards the base ; feet, bright yellow 
orange ; tarsus, one inch and a half long, feathered in 
front half its length, the remainder covered with small 
reticulated scales ; toes, separated to the base ; nails, 
large, black, very acute, and, with the exception of the 
middle one, perfectly rounded beneath ; the middle one 
is very sharp on the inner side. 
The male is of a smaller size; the upper surface, 
instead of being bluish slate, is more of a dirty grayish, 
slightly tinged with ferruginous ; the tail is less purely 
white. These sexual differences are the more worthy 
of note, as they are the reverse of what is exhibited in 
other hawks. It is, however, possible, that they are 
not to be found in very old males. 
The young of both sexes, but especially the young 
males, are somewhat darker, and are strongly tinged 
with ferruginous, principally on the head, neck, and 
wings ; the breast being entirely of that colour. A 
specimen of the African species in this state is figured, 
by Le Vaillant, whose plates in general are tolerably 
accurate ; but how great is the disappointment of the 
ornithologist to find the tarsi represented as covered 
distinctly with plates, as in other hawks ! We cannot 
let pass this opportunity of exhorting engravers, drafts- 
men, and all artists employed on works of natural 
historjr, never to depend on what they are accustomed 
to see, but in all cases to copy faithfully what they 
have under their eyes; otherwise, taking for granted 
what they ought not, they will inevitably fall into 
these gross errors. Even the accurate Wilson himself, 
or rather perhaps his engraver, has committed the same 
VOL. IV. B 
