error in representing the feet of the swallow-tailed hawk. Of what consequence, will it perhaps be said, is the form of the scales covering the foot of a hawk ? But these afford precisely one of the best representative characters of groups, and it will, therefore, not be thought unnecessary to caution artists in this, and similar cases.

The young, as described by Temminck, is in a more advanced stage of plumage; the front, forepart of the neck, thighs, flanks, and under tail-coverts are pure white; the breast and belly are of the same colour, but are marked with reddish spots, and brown lines; the occiput, nucha, back, and scapulars are brownish, mixed with whitish, and more or less tinged with cinereous; all these feathers having wide margins of whitish and reddish; the upper tail-coverts are black, with reddish margins; the inferior marbled with black and white; the quills are bluish, terminated with white; the tail is of a grayish 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 American continent, as the Alcon blanco of Paraguay, so well described by D'Azara, is undoubtedly the same bird. Vieillot undertook to classify it from D'Azara's description, applying to it the name of Milvus leucurus; but, after more attentive consideration, 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 observers, who may risk their fortunes, or even their lives, in pursuit 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 continent, it is every where a rare species, and in the United States appears to be confined to the southern extremity. This specimen was shot in December, 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 facility for the prosecution of his scientific researches. It was observed 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 Arvicola hispidus, and the different species of sparrow, which make their residence in the southern parts of the Union. It was very shy, and, on his approach, it flew in easy circles at a moderate elevation; and such was its vigilance, that the greater part of a day was spent in attempting to get within gunshot. At length the cover of interposing bushes enabled him to effect his purpose. It was a beautiful female, in perfect adult plumage. This sex, in the perfect state, is now for the first time described, Temminck's plate representing the young female only; and even the figures of the African analogue, in Le Vaillant's work, exhibit only the male in the young and adult states. As usual in the tribe of predaceous birds, the female is much larger than the male, and is, therefore, entitled to precedence.

Though this species is so rare, its near relative, the black-winged hawk, appears, on the contrary, to be very numerous. In Africa, where it was first discovered, and which is probably its native country, it is rather a common species, and has a very extensive range. Le Vaillant frequently observed it on the eastern coast of that little known continent, from Duyven-Hoek to Caffraria, where, however, it is less common. The same traveller

found it to inhabit also in the interior, in the Camdebo, and on the shores of the Swart-kop, and Sunday rivers. It is very common in Congo, and numerous also in Barbary, Egypt, and far-distant Syria. The researches of Ruppel, in the interior of North-Eastern Africa, already so productive, and from which so much more may be expected, have furnished specimens of this species, of which we owe two to the kindness of Dr Creitzschmaer, the learned and zealous Director of the Museum of the free city of Frankfort,—an institution which has risen up with such wonderful rapidity. We are also informed, that it is an inhabitant of India, which is rendered probable by a specimen from Java in my collection. It is found in New Holland, being numerous in the autumn of New South Wales, where it is migratory, and preys chiefly on field mice, but is seldom known to attack birds. It is there observed at times to hover in the air, as if stationary and motionless. Though occasionally met with on the African coast of the Mediterranean, not a solitary individual has ever been known to visit the opposite shores of Italy, Spain, or Turkey, nor has it been met with in any other part of Europe.

When at rest, it is generally seen perched on high bushes, where the pure white of the lower parts of its body renders it very conspicuous at a distance. It utters a sharp piercing cry, which is often repeated, especially when on the wing, though Mr Peale assures us, that our individual uttered no cry. Like its closely related species, it does not attack small birds, except for the purpose of driving them from its favourite food, which consists of hemipterous insects, chiefly of the Gryllus and Mantis genera, as well as other insects, and some reptiles. In the stomach of our specimen, however, Mr Peale found, besides the usual food, fragments of an Arvicola hispidus, and one or two feathers apparently of a sparrow: but it is not a cowardly bird, as might be suspected from its affinity to the kites, and from its insignificant prey, since it successfully attacks crows, shrikes, and even the more

timid birds of its own genus, compelling them to quit its favourite haunts, which it guards with a vigilant eye. They build in the bifurcation of trees. The nest is broad and shallow, lined internally with moss and feathers. The female is stated to lay four or five eggs; the nestlings at first are covered with down of a reddish-gray colour.

The African species is said to diffuse a musky odour, which is retained even after the skin is prepared for the museum: but we are inclined to believe, that it is in the latter state only that it possesses this quality. Mr Peale did not observe any such odour in the bird he shot, but being obliged, for want of better food, to make his dinner of it in the woods, found it not unpalatable.

3. FALCO CYANEUS, BONAP.--BLUE HAWK, OR HEN-HARRIER. BONAPARTE, PLATE XII.

As will be perceived upon a slight inspection of our long and elaborate list of synonyms, [printed at the end of the volume,] this well known species is found in almost every part of the globe; and not only does it seem to have been considered every where distinct, but nearly every different appearance which it assumes during its progress through the various and extraordinary changes that its plumage undergoes according to sex and age, has in each country given rise to a nominal species. At the same time, however, that names were thus inconsiderately multiplied for one bird, two, really distinct, were always confounded together. Analogous in their changes, similar in form and plumage, it was reserved for the acute and ingenious Montague, to point out the difference, and establish the two species by permanent characters. The new one was called by him Falco cineraceus, and is known by the English name of ash-coloured harrier. It is figured and accurately described in all its states of plumage by Vieillot, in his Galerie des Oiseaux, where he has dedicated it to its discoverer, calling it Circus Montagui; thus fully apologizing for having, in his article Buzzard,

of the New Dictionary of Natural History, declared it to be a state of the other. How far, however, it may be considered a compliment to change the name given to a species by its discoverer, in order to apply even his own to it, we are at a loss to imagine.

The principal distinctive characters of the two species are to be found in the relative length of the wings and tail, and in the proportional lengths of the primaries. In the ash-coloured harrier, the sixth primary is shorter than the first, the second is much longer than the fifth, and the third is the longest; the wings, when closed, reach to the tip of the tail. In the hen-harrier, the first primary is shorter than the sixth, the second subequal to the fifth, and the third equal to the fourth, the longest; the wings closed, not reaching, by more than two inches, to the tip of the tail, which is also but slightly rounded in the latter, while in the ash-coloured it is cuneiform. Other minor differences are besides observable in the respective sexes and states of both; but as those we have indicated are the only ones that permanently exist, and may be found at all times, we shall not dwell on the others, especially as Montague's species appears not to inhabit America. We think proper to observe, however, that the adult male of Falco cineraceus has the primaries wholly black beneath, while that of the F. cyaneus has them black only from the middle to the point; and that the tail-feathers, pure white in the latter, are in the former spotted beneath. The female in our species is larger than the corresponding sex of the other, though the males in both are nearly of equal size; and the collar that surrounds the face is strongly marked in ours, whereas it is but little apparent in the other. The F. cineraceus has two white spots near the eyes, which are not in the F. cyaneus. The young of the former is beneath rusty without spots. Thus, slight but constant differences, are seen to represent a species, while the most striking discrepancies in colour, size, and (not in this but in other instances) even of form, prove mere variations of sex or age! We cannot wonder at the two real species having always