124 TlMEHRI. 
cases certainty of identification can only be attained by 
having the birds in one's possession. On the wing, their 
essential characters cannot be ascertained, and the vari- 
ous shades of colour, unless the birds are seen at very 
close quarters, may be obscured or indeterminable, or 
may even be mistaken. 
The caracaras, which will first be mentioned, may 
be recognised by many characters. The sides of the 
face are markedly bare of feathers, much more so 
than in other hawks, and the patches of bare skin 
are brightly coloured. The toes are all connected, 
by skin as though they were somewhat webbed. Their 
beaks are long and strong, distinctly hooked, but much 
less curved than in the generality of hawks. One of the 
most commonly met with is the so-called bush carrion 
crow or bultata, the white-billed caracara (Ibyfter ameri- 
canus), which is to be found all over the forest region^ 
often in large flocks, and generally on the tops of the 
highest trees, where they are constantly shrieking out 
their harsh discordant cries, cara-cara-a, cla-cla-cla-a, 
which become almost deafening when the birds are dis- 
turbed. The males are about 20 inches in length, the 
females, as in the generality of other hawks, being much 
larger. The prevailing colour is black with a greenish 
and greyish gloss, while the belly, the thighs and the 
small covering feathers under the tail, are white. The 
bare spaces round the eyes, the eyes themselves, and the 
bare patch on the throat, are rich red, while the beak is 
yellow and the feet are red. 
Though these birds are very vulturine in appearance, 
and are very closely related to other forms that are vul- 
turine in habits, they seem to feed almost exclusively on 
