Part 217

“Nest in oak-tree, in edge of wood, by lake.”

“Nest twenty-five feet high, in oak-tree.”

“Nest at top of broken poplar-tree near lake.”

Buteo borealis, var. costaricensis, RIDGWAY. Buteo borealis (all citations from Central America).

SP. CHAR. Adult (No. 30,409, Costa Rica; Dr. A. von Frantzius). Head, neck, and upper parts continuous, unvariegated brownish-black; whole throat white, with a few cuneate spots of black; black of the neck meeting narrowly across the jugulum; pectoral area immaculate pure white; upper part of abdomen with an imperfect belt of distinct narrow lanceolate strips of black; whole posterior lower parts fine pinkish ochraceous, unvariegated; tibiæ deepest, inclining to delicate ochraceous-rufous; upper tail-coverts immaculate rufous. Tail as in var. borealis. Wing, 16.00; tail, 9.00; tarsus, 3.20; middle toe, 1.80. Bill very high, abruptly curved. Wing-formula, 4, 5, 3, 6, 2; first, shortest.

This very curious variety is that which departs furthest from the true borealis; not only the details, but in a measure the pattern, of coloration, being greatly modified. The perfectly continuous pure brownish-black of the whole head and neck, sharply contrasted with the white throat-patch, are features which distinguish it from every other variety of this group; while the deep rufous tibiæ, and almost utter absence of transverse bars beneath, are also very distinctive characters.

The second of the two Costa Rican specimens before me (No. 33,507; J. Carmiol) differs from the type in having the white of the pectoral area clouded by an encroachment of the blackish of the neck; and across the abdomen is a deep wash of the same. The tail-feathers exhibit indications of spots along the shafts, as in var. calurus; while the upper tail-coverts have a very few bars of blackish.

Young (37,338, Tres Marias Islands, January; Col. A. J. Grayson). Similar to the adult in general appearance, but differing in the following particulars: Tail deep umber, with about twelve or thirteen narrow bands of black, and very narrowly tipped with whitish; lateral lower parts thickly spotted with blackish, and tibiæ spotted transversely with the same; lower tail-coverts with distant bars of blackish. Upper tail-coverts blackish-brown barred with white, this not touching the shaft.

HAB. Central America and Southwestern Mexico; Costa Rica, Veragua, and Tres Marias Islands (Mus. S. I.).

Localities: (?) Guatemala (SCL. Ibis, I, 217, B. borealis); Costa Rica (LAWR. IX, 133, “var. montanus”).

List of Specimens Examined.—National Museum, 4.

Measurements much the same as in the other varieties.

Archibuteo lagopus (BRUNN.), GRAY. Falco lagopus, BRUNN. Orn. Bor. p. 4, sp. 15 (1764); PENN., GMEL., LATH., SIEMSS., DAUD., SHAW, NAUM., MEYER. Buteo lagopus, STEPH. et AUCT. Butaëtes lagopus, BONAP., GRAY, BAILLY, MORR., REICH. Archibuteo lagopus, GRAY, Gen. B. (ed. 2), p. 3; 1841, et AUCT. (Not of American writers, nor when used for the American bird!) Hab. North and Central Europe; Northern Africa.

A comparison of the American birds with series of sixteen European specimens shows constant differences in the birds of the two continents,—quite enough to establish a difference of race, although not of specific value. The European bird is much the darker beneath, the blackish-brown spots on jugulum and breast being blended, or suffused, so as to give the predominating tint to this region.

These differences, though constant and quite appreciable on comparison, are very slight, while the proportions are about the same. A young specimen of the European style differs from American in entire absence of rufous tinge to white of head, neck, and lower parts, less complete band across the abdomen, immaculate white ear-coverts, cheeks, and throat; the tibiæ and tarsi are also much more thickly spotted than in the American young; there is also more white on base of outer surface of primaries.

List of Specimens examined.—Nat. Mus., 6; Philad. Acad., 8; Bost. Soc., 2. Total, 16.

Measurements.—♂. Wing, 16.00; tail, 8.70; culmen, .80; tarsus, 2.30; middle toe, 1.30. Specimens, 1. ♀. Wing, 18.20; tail, 9.75; culmen, .95; tarsus, 2.60; middle toe, 1.50. Specimens, 1.

Aquila chrysaëtus, var. chrysaëtus (LINN.). Aquila valeria, ALBIN, B, II. pl. ii. Aquila chrysaëtus, BRISS. Orn. I, 431, et AUCT. Falco chrysaëtus, LINN. S. N. 1760, 125. Aquila melanaëtus, BRISS. Orn. I, 434. Falco melanaëtus, LINN. S. N. 124. Aquila regia, LESS. Tr. Orn. Falco fulvus, LINN. S. N. 1760, 125 (young).

List of Specimens examined.—Nat. Mus., 4; Philad. Acad., 14; Bost. Soc., 2; Mus. Cambridge, 1; Mus. J. C. Sharp, Jr., 1. Total, 22.

Measurements.—♂. Wing, 23.80–24.30; tail, 14.00–14.50; culmen, 1.68–1.70; tarsus, 3.40; middle toe, 2.40–2.45. Specimens, 2. ♀. Wing, 25.00–25.50; tail, 14.00–14.50; culmen, 1.80–1.85; tarsus, 3.80–4.10; middle toe, 2.85–3.10. Specimens, 3.

Haliaëtus pelagicus (PALL.). Falco pelagicus, PALLAS, Zoog. Ros. As. I, 343, pl. ix. Aquila p., KITTL., BOIE. Haliaëtus p., SIEB., GRAY, CASS. B. Cal. & Tex. I, pp. 31, 110, pi. vi (♀); IB. Birds N. Am. 1858, 42. Thalassoaëtus, KAUP, JARD. Falco leucopterus, TEMM. Falco imperator, KITTL. Hab. Northeastern Asia, Japan (SIEBOLD); Kamschatka.

Established by Vigors, in 1825.

From the Vulturinæ are excluded the genera Gypætus and Neophron, each of which probably constitutes a subfamily by itself.

Sarcorhamphus, DUMÉRIL, 1806. (Type, Vultur gryphus, LINN.)

Cathartes, ILLIGER, 1811. (Type, Vultur papa, LINN.) Gypagus, VIEILL. 1816. (Same type.) Gyparchus, GLOG. 1842. (Same type.) Sarcorhamphus, AUCT. (in part).

Rhinogryphus burrovianus (CASSIN). Cathartes burrovianus, CASS. P. A. N. S. II, 1845, 212.—IB. Birds Am. 1858, 1.—GRAY, Hand List, I, 1869, 3, No. 19.—COUES, Key, 1872, 222. Cathartes urubitinga, NATT. VON PELZELN, Sitz-ber. Wien. Ak. 1861, 7.—GURNEY, Cat. Rapt. B. 1864, 46.—SCL. & SALV. P. Z. S. 1867, 589 (Amazon).—PELZ. Orn. Bras. I, 1868, 1 (Brazil).—ELLIOT, Illustr. Birds N. Am. II.—GRAY, Hand List, I, 1869, 3, No. 20.

SP. CHAR. Very similar to R. aura, but neck feathered behind up to the occiput, and the plumage uniformly black, the feathers of the back and wings without brown borders. Adult (34,984, Brazil; NATTERER). Bill white; naked skin of the head and throat reddish. Wing-formula, 3, 2, 4=1. Wing, 18.50; tail, 9.00; culmen, .90; cere above, 1.20; tarsus, 2.10; middle toe, 2.25; outer, 1.35; inner, 1.10; posterior, .80. Hab. Eastern Tropical America. Brazil (PELZELN & NATTERER); Amazon (SCL. & SALV.); ?? Jamaica (SHARPE); ?? Vera Cruz, Mexico (CASSIN).

Columba fasciata, var. albilinea. Columba albilinea, “GRAY,” BONAP. Consp. VI, 1857, 51. Chlorœnas a. =Cab.= J. 1869, 211.