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Show 1878.] BIRDS O F T H E SANDWICH ISLANDS. 349 of the generic group Pandion designated Polioa'etus by Dr. Kaup.' (Vide op. cit. p. 98.) " Mr. Ridgway, on the contrary, after au examination of the type specimen, wrote to me that he considered it ' a Buteonine form differing from the true Buteones only in the system of coloration, which reminds us somewhat of Milvago chimachima.' " In the specimen brought home in the * Challenger' there is much less resemblance to the coloration of M. chimachima, and nothing, in my opinion, to justify the removal of this species from the genus Buteo. " The following is a comparison of the measurements of the Challenger example with those of the type specimen as given by Mr. Cassin in the work to which I have referred:- Type specimen 'Challenger' specimen (sex unknown). (female). inches. inches. Total length of skin 17 (above) 17'7 Wing 12 12 Tail 7*5 7*2 Bill from gape 1*5 1*5. Tarsus 275 2*8 Hind toe and claw 1 *75 2*2 Middle toe s. u .... 1*7 Claw of ditto 0*8 Culmen (exclusive of cere) . . .... 1*1 Cere 0*4 "Mr. Cassin describes the type specimen as having 'the third, fourth, and fifth quills longest and nearly equal,' which agrees with the 'Challenger' specimen, as does his description under the head of ' form' generally ; but I think that, in speaking of the toes as having ' their under surfaces strongly corrugated or pustulated, claws very large, long, and curved,' he uses rather stronger language than is strictly applicable to the • Challenger' specimen, though in this the under surface of the feet is certainly somewhat corrugated and roughened, and the claws are slightly longer than in Buteo vulgaris or in Buteo desertorum. "As regards the difference of coloration in the two specimens, Mr. Cassin describes the type as having the ' head and entire underparts and upper tail-coverts yellowish white, all the feathers being pure white at their bases and widely terminated with pale yellowish, more distinct on the breast and tibiae.' " In the ' Challenger' bird the upper part of the head is dark wood-brown like the mantle, except that some of the feathers, especially on the crown and forehead, are partially edged with yellowish white; on the sides of the head these white edgings are more conspicuous ; the throat is white ; the breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, flanks, and wing-linings are white, slightly tinged with buff, especially on the tibiae, and more or less mingled with wood-brown throughout, except on the lower abdomen and tibiae, the brown pre- |