f f )
The Ring-Tail. Pygargus.
Numb. V. .
T H E Male is called die Henharrier, it weighed feventeen Ounces and an h a lf; the length, from the Point
o f the Beak to the E n d 'o f the T a i l , was twenty tw o Inches; its breadth, when the Wings were extended
W2s three .Feet, feven Inche s; the Mouth an Inch and a half long. F rom the hind Part o f the Head rourid
•the Ears to the Chin, a R in g or Wreath o f Feathers ftanding up, having their Middle dusky, and their Edges o f
a rediih White, encompafles the Head as it were a C row n ; from this W reath hangs d ow n a naked Skin covering
the E a r s ; the Back is o f a dark ferrugineous C o lo u r ; the Edges o f the Ne ck Feathers rediih; in the C row n
o f the Head Id s 're d ; the Bottoms, o f the Feathers in the Hind-Part o f the Head w hitiih; above and under the
E y e s were white Feathers; the B elly and Breaft o f a reddifh Y e llow marked with long dusky Spots, tending
dow nw a rd along the Shafts o f the Feathers; the Middle o f the T h ro a t o f a dusky or dark ferrugineous Colour-
the Edges o f the Feathers being red; the Rump hath fome white Feathers w ith two or three Spots Of a dark
rediih Y e llow .
T h e Number o f Flag-Feathers in each W in g was twenty-four; the exteriour Webs were, o f the lame Colour
o f the B ack , the interiour being variegated with tranfverfe black and w h'te Streaks alternately fituate: In the
exteriour and greater Feathers, the white Strokes are bigger and broader; in the interior and lefier, the black
in the inmoft w h o le W eb is dusky, the white by degrees growing darker and darker, till at laft it comes to be
w ho lly brown or dusky; the T ip s o f the exteriour Feathers in the Jecond R ow are white, e f the interiour red -
the reft o f them being o f the fame Colour w ith the Back/
T h e T a i l is ten Inch es long, made up o f twelve Feathers; the T ip s whereof are o f a rediih y e llow ; to
which iiicceed alternately rediih and black Bars, the black being much the broader; in the two middle Feathers
the Red do altogether disappear, -the Feathers being wholly, black.
T h e yellow Skin covers the upper Chap, reaching from the R o o t Of the B ill beyond the Noftrils elfe the
B ill is black, hooked and prominent; the low e r Mandible ftreight, the Mouth wide when g aping; hi the Palate
is a Cav ity equal to the T o n g u e ; the T o n gu e broäd, fleihy, and undivided, both Tongue *and Palate
black; the Angle o f the lower Chap, as in other Birds o f this K in d , is round; the Border of the Eye-lids round
lik ew ü e; the Eyes ye llow .
T h e Feet w ere ye llow, the Ta lo n s black; the outmoft T o e , for fome Space from the Divarication, is joined
to the middlemoft by an intervening Membrane; the middle T o e longeft, the inmoft ihorteft, but die C law o f
the outmoft le a ft: T h e Legs are long and very ilender, beyond the Proportion o f other H aw k s ; it hath a great
C r a w ; fmall, round, tumid, blind G u t s ; a large G o rg e , in which when opened were Feathers and Bones
o f B ird s ; a G a ll joined to the L iv e r ; the Eggs were befmeared over with Red , the W hite here and there ap pearing
underneath it.
T h e Male or T a r c e l o f this kind differs both in Magnitude and C o lo u r ; the Head, Neck and Back are
o f an A fh Colou r, like that o f a Rin g -Do v e; the long Feathers growing on the Shouldere are fomewhat
du sky; the Rump not fo white as in the F em a le ; the Breaft white with tranfverfe dusky Spots; the two middlemoft
Feathers o f the T a i l cinereous, from the middle to the outmoft, the Colour is more languid and dilute
inclining to w hite ; all but the middle ones marked with tranfverfe blackiih B a r s: T h e exteriour Flag-Feathers
o f the W ings are black, the T ip s being Afh-coloured, and the Bottoms white, the out-fide o f the reft is cinereous
only their inner Limbs or Borders w hite ; the covert Feathers o f the upper Side o f the Wings cinereous o f the
nether Side white ; the Shafts o f the interiour being black; the fa i l R o w o f the covert Feathers o f the infide o f
the W in g have tranfverfe dusky Spots: In all other Refpe&s it agrees with the Female» the Difference of the
S e x omitted.
C