484 
Mr. J. H. Gurney's Notes on 
out as to a certain extent representing each other in the west¬ 
ern and eastern hemispheres. 
Somewhat as the coloration of Butastur recalls that of Ru- 
pornis, does the tone and arrangement of coloration in As¬ 
turinula bring -to mind that of Asturina, especially as regards 
the remarkable transverse barring of the lower breast and 
abdomen; hut it must be observed, on the other hand, that 
in the case of Asturinula there is little, if any, distinction be¬ 
tween the immature and adult plumage, in which respect it 
differs widely from Asturina , and also from the African genus 
Melierax, with which (as well as with Asturina) it otherwise 
exhibits some considerable affinity. 
In adopting the generic appellation of Asturinula, Mr. 
Sharpe ignores the older title of Kaupifalco, in which he is 
justified by the circumstance of the latter name having been 
published by the late Prince C. L. Bonaparte without any 
description being annexed thereto. 
Mr. Sharpe divides the genus Asturinula in his Catalogue 
into two supposed species, A. monogrammica and A. meridi- 
onalis; but in his subsequently published edition of Mr. 
Layard's work on the birds of South Africa, at page 42, he 
reunites them under the older title of monogrammica. From 
a comparison of a series of specimens from different localities 
I am convinced that the supposed distinctive characters are 
not constant, and do not represent two geographical races, but 
are due either to sex or age, or possibly, though less pro¬ 
bably, to individual variation; I therefore concur in Mr. 
Sharpe's later view, that there is but one species of this 
genus. 
I have next to notice two interesting American genera, 
Buteogallus and Busarellus, each consisting of but a single 
species, and both appearing to hold a somewhat intermediate 
place between Heterospizias and XJrubitinga (taking the latter 
genus in its restricted sense), and also, by the remarkable 
development of the curved point of the upper mandible, to 
approach in some degree the piscivorous and mollusk-eating 
Kites of the genus Rostrhamus, to which they are also pro¬ 
bably allied in their mode of feeding. The genus Busarellus 
