/This species is aminhabitant of a great-portion of* the American
continent, as the Jllcon bianco of Paraguay; so well ïdescribed by
d’Azara,^riJ undoubtedly- the: -same bird. Vieillot undertookto.
classify''it from d’Azara’sI description; applying torit the name,
of Milvus leucurus ; ^ a t after more .attentive consideration,-’he
perceived that it wasmot a Milvus, hrithan Manus. Hè eonsmpeaöy
removed it tb that genUs, which he called Elanoides, at thc same
time asserting, that with*the Swallow-tailed Hawk, it ought to
constitute a differ entseelfionfrom the Black-winged Hawk; from
which, upon actual comparison, "it i’s With difficulty shown, to «be
even Specifically »iifettecri ='Snch»’are- th e ‘. absurdities into which
authors afe betrayed through the highly ■rcprahensiblc praotieesto
which some are addicted* of ■ attempting to classify; and name,
animals «ftfeyk have never seen, from *£$0 -descriptions.’ or mere
indications bf travellers. Though by such means, tbey^may
sómètiihes gain the credit of introducing a new'species;, amk.thuis
dèpfïve^Ature 1 observer swho may risk tbcir fortunes, or even their
lifès';4h»pursuit of imperfectly known animals, of their bost*réward,
they eamiot fail to incur the merited reprobation of- all honour able
and* fair-dealing naturalists.
•* Though this bird range’s so widely ovdrf the American continent,
it iséVery Where a rafe ipeiries, and in the United States .' appears
tbdse confined to the southern extremity. Nl T he specimen figured
hi the plate of the natural size; was shot in December, in, the
neighbourhood of St. Augustinë; East Florida, at the resMence of
my "near relation, Colonel Achilles Murat, whose kind* hospitality
afforded to Mr. W i t Peale every‘facility fot -thc prosecution of
hik scientific researches.' It was ohsérved by* Mr. Peale about
the dawn of’d’ay, sitting on the dead branch of an old live-oak,
attéStóyely watchihg t h e bbrdèfsdfr u # adjacent salt-marsh which
abounded I with ^ruieo/a ' tópi(iMS, 'and the • different speciès of
Sparrow,' which make .’their residence in the Southern • parts of
the union. It was .very shy, and on his approach, it-flew in-easy
circles at a moderate elevation, and"' such w-a’s its vigilance, that
the greater paCtfeof a day was* ipent in attempting to get within
gun-shot, r A t length the-cover of'interposing bushes' enabled him
foreffeet his purpose. It wa#a beauStifui+ffm^tle; in pferfeet'Uduie
plumage. ■ Thi«’sé* in!‘the pérfecf stat'ë^’ismiow for' thfe first time
represented?Ë representing the*‘young1 female'
only pand evenftiteiifigupes of thfe African anafegue in Le Waillant’s
work exhibit only the'mafbifefbe youngmnd-adult Sttatcs.if (As
usual in th e ‘tribe of>pr'edaceous,birds,1fhe femaleismuch larger
thdn the male; and p r e c e d e n c e .!
■ Aits iSeries- '-is- s# its near relative, thejfïjiaekwin'g.
ed'. 'Bawk} appearson tbeicontrary to be 'yiiy In
Africa, wbere r it -was first discovered,-1 and which is 'probably its
native)-eountryjütt'èS’rathera-commoni'Speciesyarid'hasa^very
feWtwnsitwBvcraiagcL »• Ee Vaillant 'frequently-observed it voa the
eastern «bast bf that little-known continent, from* !*Buyren*IIoek
to Caffraria, where, however^it' is less »common; •»- -The'-same
traveHenfound it to u d i a b i t t h e Canabdeb»;
an d om th e 'Shores of the* Swart-kop, and r-Sünday: rivers. It is.
vm*y dbmmon in Congo, and .numerous ate.©.- in Barbary,* Egypt;
and far-distant Syria.' The Jresearches of Rufpep in the interior
of- N orth-Eastern »Africa, already so, productive. and from| which
so much more may be expected;, have furnished speeimensof this
species, of whichWe ©we two t0 thekindnessmfDr,'"@reit*zsehmaer,
the learned and zealous Director of ,'the Museum of the free city of
Frankfort, an institution whishitJ^SS risen up with such wonderful
•rapidity, | We are also informed, that, it ds an inhabitanti of India,
which is . rendered pPobaMe*f h y a specimen - from Java in my
Cilleetion. It found i n Me#-Hkillandy being- humerous 'in the
autumn of Kew South Wales, where it is migratory, and preys*
chiefly field-mice, but is seldom known to attneWriNte» r^ . is
there observed at times to hover in the air, as,if stationary and
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