Circus macropterus, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 118; iid. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 143 (Buenos Ayres); Döring, Exp. al Rio Negro, p. 50 (Rio Colorado). Buteo macropterus, d’Orb. Voy., Ois. p. 112 (Buenos Ayres). Circus maculosus, Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 62. Circus megaspilus, Gould, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. p. 29 (Uruguay).
Description.—Above black; frontal band, superciliaries, and upper tail-coverts white; edge of facial ruff spotted with white; wing- and tail-feathers grey, with black cross bands: beneath white, chest and throat black, with some white streaks; under wing-coverts white, with narrow blackish cross bands: whole length 20·0 inches, wing 17·0, tail 10·0. Female similar, but larger.
Hab. South America.
This Harrier is also found in the Republic, but is not so common as the former species.
[294.] ASTURINA PUCHERANI, Verr.
(PUCHERAN’S HAWK.)
Asturina pucherani, Scl. et Salv. Ex. Orn. pl. 89, p. 177; iid. Nomencl. p. 118; iid. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 634 (Buenos Ayres); Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 187 (Buenos Ayres); Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 30 (Entrerios); Withington, Ibis, 1888, p. 469 (Lomas de Zamora); Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 205.
Description.—Above dark brown; upper tail-coverts fulvous barred with brown; wings deep chestnut, barred and broadly tipped with black; tail fulvous, with four blackish cross bands: beneath, abdomen pale ochraceous, barred across with rufous; throat blackish, with slight white stripes; breast ochraceous, with narrow black shaft-stripes; thighs ochraceous, narrowly barred with orange-rufous; bill black; feet dark yellow: whole length 18·0 inches, wing 11·0, tail 8·2. Female similar, but rather larger.
Hab. South Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
This brown-plumaged, short-winged, and exceedingly vociferous Hawk is common in the woods along the shores of the Plata and its tributaries, and is never found far removed from water. It perches on the summit of a tree, and sits there motionless for hours at a time, and at intervals utters singularly long loud cries, which become more frequent and piercing when the bird is disturbed, as by the approach of a person. Its flight is rapid and irregular, the short blunt wings beating unceasingly, while the bird pours out a succession of loud vehement broken screams.