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Show 244 /!..VES. longitudinally spotted with bro\~n ; the rump white. The ~en Harrier-Falco cyaneusand F. alb~cans,(l) Enl. 450; Naum. xxx1x, 1• cinereous, with black wing quills, is merely the male in its s;cond year. This species builds on the ground, keeps constantly in the fields, flies near the earth, and towards night hunts rats, young partridges, Stc. F. cineraceus, Montag.; Le Busard Gendre, N aum. 40 ; Vieill. Galer. pl. 13. More slender than th: Soub.use, and ":ith longer wings ; the old male is cinereous; 1ts pr1mary qu1lls, and a band on the secondary ones, are black ; both male and female, in the second year, are brown above, white beneath, with brown· ish streaks on the breast; the whole under part of the young bird is red. Its habits are much like those of the preceding species. F. rufus, L.; La Harpaye; Enl. 470; ~aum. 37, 1: Bro.wn· ish and reddish ; the tail, and primary qu11Is of the wmgs, cme· reo us. The Busard du marais-Falco reruginosus, Enl. 424; Naum. 38, brown, with a light fawn colour on the head and breast, is considered as the same bird at a more advanced age i but some observers pretend it is a different species. Both of them keep within reach of water courses, in order to hunt rep· tiles.(2) Finally, the SERPENTARrus, Cuv.-GYPOGERANus, Illig.(3) The Snake-Eater, or Secretary, is an African bird of prey, whose tarsi are at least double the length of those of the prece· ding ones, which caused some naturalists to place it among the ( 1) It is also the F. communis, F. albus, Frisch, pl. lxxv, the F. montanua, B, the F. griseus, Gm. and even his F. boltemicus. N. B. The M. cresserelle of Vieillot has become his genus lc'riNIA. (2) Add the .B.coli, Vaill. Afr. 31 (F. acoli, Sh.);-the Tcltaug, Id. 32, andSon· nerat, If, 182 (F, melanoleucos).-P. palustris, Pr. Max. Col. 22.-The ~rog~erh Vaill, Afr, 28 (Jj'. ranivorus, Sh.).-The Busard roux, Vieill. Amer. pl. IX, w cd this author considers as identical with the F. hudsonius, Edw. 107.-The Buaw~ d'hiver, (Circus hyemalis,) Vieill. Amer. 71, which does not appear to be ~he l ldemalis, Wils. IV' XXXV' 1. ·-The Busard a croupion blanc ( Circ. europo~t~, Vieill. Amer. 8.-Probably, also, the F. uliginosus, Edw. 291, belongs ~0 thi~ 5~,; genus, bQ.t unh. l the .changes of plumage, produced by age, are asce ~~rFtPt di· be very difficult to determine its species. M. Ch. Bonaparte says that the · gffl_osus is a young female of the cyaneus. . · (3) M. Vieillot has changed these names into OPHIO'l'HEREB, Gal. pl. 260· • Our author here seems to be in et'l'Ol' ; the bird figured by Wt' l ~0 n' Voi.IV, Vl· x~xv, fig. 1, is the true Falco hyemali.~, Gm. .B.m. Ed. ACCIPITRES. 245 Grallatorire, or Waders ; but its legs completely invested with feathers, its hooked and cleft beak, projecting eye-lids, and all its anatomical details place it in the present order. The tarsus is scutellated, its toes short in proportion, and the circumference of the eye naked ; it has a long stiff crest on the occiput, and the two intermediate quills of the tail extend much beyond the others. It inhabits the dry and open grounds in the vicinity of the Cape, where it hunts reptiles on foot ; its claws consequently become much worn. Its chief strength lies in the leg. It is the Falco serpenta1'ius of Gmel. En I. 721 ; Vieill. Galer. 260. The inhabitants of Martinique have endeavoured to multiply the breed, in order to destroy the Lance-headed Viper with which that island is infested. THE NOCTURNAL BIRDS OF PREY. Have a large head ; great eyes, directed forwards, surrounded by a circle of fringed feathers, the anterior of which cover the cera of the beak, and the posterior, the opening of the ear. Their enormous pupil permits the entrance of so many rays of light, that they are dazzled by that of day. .T heir cranium, which is thick, but formed of a light substance' IS excavated by large sinuses, which communicate with the ear, and which probably assist in strengthening the sense of hearing; but the organs of :flight are not very vigorous ; their fourchette is weak ; their feathers being soft, and covered with a fine down, make no noise in :flying. They can direct their external toe either forwards or backwards. These birds are chiefly on the wing during twilight, and when the moon shines. When attacked in the day time, they do not :fly off, but stand more erect, assume odd postures, and make the most ludicrous gestures. Their gizzard is tolerably muscular, although their prey is wholly apimal, consisting in mice, small birds, and insects; b~t it is preceded by a large crop ; their creca are long and W1de at bottom, &c. Small birds have a natural antipathy to them, and frequently assemble from all quarters to attack them. They form but one genus, STRIX, Lin. Which may be divided by their tufts, the size of their ears, the extent |
