CIRCUS MAURUS.—T em m .
A ves.—P late LVIII.—Y oung F emale.
0 . supra brunneo-ruber, plumarum plurimis subrufo-marginatis, infra rufo-albus brunneo-strigatus, nucha
albo brunneoque variegate!,; remigibus exteme griseis, interne versus basin albis brunneo-maculatis,
versus apicem brunneo-rubris; cauda nigro-brunnea, fasciis quatuor subgriseis notata, plumarum
apicibus rufo-albis. Oculis flavis. Rostro nigro-brunneo; pedibus flavis.
Circus Lalandi, Smith.—South African Quarterly Journal, vol. i. page 383. 1830.
Colour.—The upper surface of head blackish brown, the feathers of vertex
broadly margined with rufous; nuchal feathers white, variegated with brown,
the latter colour in oval blotches, one reaching the tip of each feather ; the
rest of the upper parts reddish brown with most of the feathers broadly tipped
with a colour intermediate between sienna and cream-yellow; upper tail
coverts white. The sides of head white, tinged with sienna yellow, and delicately
streaked longitudinally with brown; chin white, the shaft of each
feather brown. The rest of the under parts between ochre and sienna-yellow,
the breast and anterior part of belly nearly white ; the throat, anterior part
of breast, flanks and outer surface of legs blotched with brownish red. The
cervical collar behind the ear coverts deep brownish red, elsewhere of the
same colour as the throat. Tail feathers white at their base, then brownish
red, the latter colour being crossed by three transverse light coloured bars,
which on the middle feathers are smoke-grey with a satin-lustre, on the lateral
feathers white with a sienna yellow tint, the tips of all the feathers of the
latter colour; the outer vanes of quill feathers hoary grey, the inner vanes
towards base white, imperfectly barred with brown, towards points liver-
brown. Bill blackish brown, the base of lower mandible yellowish. Legs
and toes yellow; claws the same colour as bill. Eyes yellow.*
* Adult.—Upper tail coverts white; the outer vanes of the primary and secondary quill coverts as
also of the quill feathers rusty lavender-purple, the inner vanes towards quills white, towards tips blackish
brown. Tail blackish brown, with four rusty smoke-grey bands, the tip of each feather the same colour ;
the whole of the remaining plumage a uniform blackish brown.