155 
Mr. R. B. Sharpens Catalogue of Accipitres. 
I have examined, not on the upper surface, or, if at all, very 
partially so. It is distinguished by the breast, abdomen, and 
under tail-coverts becoming transversely marked by rows of 
wood-brown spots on a white ground, producing a considerable 
resemblance to the immature plumage of C. gallicus, as has 
been already observed by Schlegel and by Von Heuglin in 
their respective notes on this species, to which I have already 
referred; the late Jules Verreaux states that he has watched 
the change from this to the fully adult dress in specimens 
kept in confinement*. 
(No. 3.) The most perfect instance of this phase of plu¬ 
mage which has come under my notice is exhibited in a South- 
African specimen preserved in the Liverpool Museum, which 
might almost pass for an example of C. gallicus. 
The Norwich Museum also possesses some interesting spe¬ 
cimens which are more or less completely in this stage, and 
which it may be desirable briefly to describe, as tending to 
elucidate the gradual assumption and subsequent loss of the 
transverse rows of brown spots on the lower surface by 
which this intermediate condition of plumage is especially 
characterized. 
(No. 4.) One of these specimens, now preserved at Norwich, 
was obtained in South Africa by the late Sir A. Smith, and, 
from its appearance, seems to have been kept in confinement. 
It is in similar plumage to No, 2, except that the tail-feathers 
and most of the secondaries have already attained the deep 
grey tint, with dark transverse bars, which is characteristic 
of the adult bird; but my chief reason for referring to this 
specimen is to mention the circumstance of four apparently 
new feathers being visible among the older fulvous plumage 
of the left side of the breast: these four feathers are dark 
brown; but all of them have white bases, and two of them 
also have white tips. Here, if I mistake not, we have the 
commencement of the intermediate stage of plumage to whieh 
I have just referred. 
(No. 5.) The next specimen which I propose to notice is a 
male, obtained by Mr. Ayres near Potchefstroom on 24th 
* Vide Ibis, 1862, p. 209. 
