5. Milvago leucurus, n. Falco leucurus, Forster’s Drawings No. 34. Falco Novæ Zealandiæ, Gm. —— Australis, Lath. Circaëtus antarcticus, Less. Falco Australis, Jard. & Selby’s III. Orn. n. s. pl. 24. 6. Milvago albogularis, n. Polyborus (Phalcobænus ?) albogularis, Gould. 7. Milvago montanus, n. Phalcobænus montanus, D’Orb. 8. Milvago megalopterus, n. Aquila megaloptera, Meyen.
1. Milvago pezoporos.
Aquila pezopora, Meyen. Nov. Act. Phys. Med. Acad. Cæs. Leo. Car. Nat. Cur. suppl. 1834. p. 62. pl. VI.
I obtained two specimens of this bird, one from Port Desire, in Patagonia, and another at the extreme southern point of Tierra del Fuego. Meyen[[7]] describes it as common on the plains of Chile, and on the mountains to an elevation of 4000 or 5000 feet. As M. D’Orbigny does not notice this species, I presume it is not found on the Atlantic side of the continent, so far north as the Rio Negro, where he resided for some time. The habits and general appearance of M. chimango and this bird are so entirely similar, that I did not perceive that the species were different; hence I cannot speak with certainty of their range, but it would appear probable that the M. pezoporus replaces in Chile, Tierra del Fuego and Southern Patagonia the M. chimango of La Plata. In the same manner the M. chimango is replaced between the latitudes of Buenos Ayres and Corrientes by a third closely allied species, the M. ochrocephalus. D’Orbigny, (p. 614, in the Zoological part of his work) speaking of the Chimango, says, “Il n’est pas étonnant qu’on ait long-temps confondu cette espèce avec le falco degener, Illiger, (the M. ochrocephalus) et qu’on l’ait cru de sa famille. Il est impossible de présenter plus de rapports de forme et surtout de couleur. Nous les avions, nous-même confondus au premier abord; mais, en remarquant, ultérieurement, que le sujet que nous regardions comme le mâle ne se trouvait qu’à Corrientes, tandis qu’il y avait seulement des femelles sur les rives de la Plata, l’étude plus attentive des mœurs de ces oiseaux, et les localités respectives qu’habite chacun d’eux, ne tarda pas à nous y faire reconnaître, avec Azara, deux espèces vraiment trèsdistinctes; mais qui, depuis, ont encore été confondues, sous la même nom, par M. la Prince Maximilien de Neuwied.[[8]]” I may observe that the figure given in Meyen’s work, has the iris coloured bright red, instead of which it should have been brown.
2. Milvago chimango.
Polyborus chimango, Vieill.
Haliaëtus chimango, Less.
Chimango, Azar. Voyage, vol. iii. p. 35.
My specimen was obtained at Maldonado, on the banks of the Plata. In the following short account of the habits of this bird, it must be understood that I have confounded together, the M. chimango and the M. pezoporus; but I am certain that almost every remark is applicable to both species. From what has been said under the last head, it may be inferred, that both of these allied birds have comparatively limited ranges, compared with that of the P. Brasiliensis. Azara says the Chimango (and he first distinguished this species from the M. ochrocephalus, or M. chimachima) is rarely found so far north as Paraguay. D’Orbigny saw the Chimango (M. pezoporus ?) at Arica in lat. 16°, and I killed the M. pezoporus in the extreme southern point of America, in lat. 55° 30′ south.
The Chimango, in La Plata, lives chiefly on carrion, and generally is the last bird of its tribe which leaves the skeleton, and hence it may frequently be seen standing within the ribs of a cow or horse, like a bird in a cage. The Chimango often frequents the sea-coast and the borders of lakes and swamps, where it picks up small fish. It is truly omnivorous, and will eat even bread, when thrown out of a house with other offal. I was also assured that in Chiloe, these birds (probably in this district the M. pezoporus) materially injure the potato crops, by stocking up the roots when first planted. In the same island, I saw them following by scores the plough, and feeding on worms and larvæ of insects. I do not believe that they kill, under any circumstances, even small birds or animals. They are more active than the Carranchas, but their flight is heavy; I never saw one soar; they are very tame; are not gregarious; commonly perch on stone walls, and not upon trees. They frequently utter a gentle, shrill scream.