[.
■ K t \ I
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P l a t e X G .
A S T U R IN A PLAGIATA,
(LICHTENSTELVS BTJZZAED-HAWB.
F a lco p la g ia lus . . . L ic h t, in Mus, Berol,
A s tu r in a plagiata . . . Scblegel, Mus. d, P . B ,, p. 1.
Scl. e t Salv. P.Z.S. 18Ü9, p. 130.
A s tu r in a n itid a . . Cassin, in Ba ird ’s B ird s o f X . A. p. 33.
Scl. P.Z.S. 1857, pp. 201, 227 ; 1859, p p . 3GS, 38 9 : 1864, p. 369.
Scl. e t Salv. Ib is, 1859, p. 217.
Salvin, Ib is, 1861, p. 68.
Lawr. A n n . Lyc. N . Y. is . p. 133.
S u p rà c in e re a : subtua d ilu tio r, fasciis an g u stis albis omninò, nisi in g u ttu r e , tr a n s v itta ta ; crisso e t te ctric ib u s
caudæ su p e rio rib u s a lb is : te ctric ib u s a larum in ferioribus e t remigum pogoniis in te rn is albis, fasciis q u ibusdam c iñ ereis:
caudâ nig râ, albo tr iv itta tâ e t a n g u ste te rm in a ta : ro stro nigro, cera e t podibus flavis : lo n g , to ta 1 4 ’5, alæ 9 ‘4, caudæ
6'0, ta rs i 2 ’8. Fem. M a ri similis, sed m a jo r; long. to t. 17, alæ 1 0 5 , caudæ O S, ta rs i 3-0. Junior. S u p rà nig ric an ti-
b ru u n ea , fulvo pau lu lùm mixta ; su b tù s alba, nigricanti-fusco g u tta ta , tib iis ho c colore fre q u e n tè r tran s fa sciatis : caudâ
su p rà fumido-fuscà, su b tu s cin ereâ ; n ig ro fre q u en tè r tranafasciatà.
S a i . in Mexico, Guatemala, e t C o stà Ricà.
Although, as will be seen from our list o f synonyms, numerous specimens o f this Hawk
have from time to time passed through our. hands, we have, until recently, failed to distinguish
it from its southern representative. Nor have the American naturalists, who have met witii
this species upon the southern confines o f the great Republic heen more discriminating, as they
also have associated it with the well-knoivn Asturina nitida. The two species are, nevertheless,
separated hy very conspicuous characters, as is amply shewn by tbe series o f specimens contained
in the collection o f Salvin and Godman which is now before us.
In the adult o f the present bird the whole upper surface is uniform dark cinereous, without
any traces o f cross-bars externally, except some faint markings upon the lesser wmg-coverts.
in A . nitida, on the contrary, the whole upper surface is regularly crossed with transverse bars,
which are narrower and more frequent upon the upper part o f the head and neck. The lower
surfaces o f the two allies are very similar, except that the throat in the northern bird is cinereous
instead o f being o f a pure white. The lower white tail-band in A . plagiata is likewise nan-ower
than in A . nitida. In comparing the immature birds o f the two species certain differences are
also apparent. In the first plumage o f the present bird the tliighs are distmctly crossed with
numerous brownish-black bands upon a white ground, wliile in A . nitida these parts are rufous,
more or less intense, but without any traces o f these mai-kings.