120 FALCONIDA. 
Juv. femine adulte similis sed nigricans, et striis gastreai plumarum medianis quoque nigricantibus. Long. 
tota 11°8, ale 7:6. (Descr. maris ex Hermosillo, Sonora. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Nortu America generally, breeding north of the United States 12.—Mmxxico, 
Hermosillo in Sonora, Puebla, Chietla ® (Ferrari-Perez), San Diego (Robinette), 
Presidio de Mazatlan (Forrer), Mazatlan , Tres Marias Is. 18, Tepic © (Grayson), 
Plains of Colima (Richardson), Valley of Mexico (Sumichrast*, Herrera’), Tehuacan, 
Orizaba (Sumichrast +), Mugeres I., Cozumel I. (Gaumer !8) ; Honpuras, Ruatan I. 
(Gaumer!); Nicaragua, Chinandega (U. 8. Nat. Mus.); Costa Rica (v. Frantzius 16), 
San José (Carmiol 4, Cherrie*); Panama, Chiriqui, Calobre (Arcé 17), Lion Hill 
(MU Leannan).—Cotompia ?; VENEZUELA? ; ANTILLES, Swan I.6 
The North-American Merlin is a migrant throughout the whole of Central America, 
and has been captured in many parts of Mexico, as may be seen by the above list of 
localities. From the more southern States it has been less frequently recorded, but 
Grayson found the species common in Western Mexico. Specimens have been met with 
in the Tres Marias Islands, but it seems probable that the bird is only a straggler 
there 1*, We have no example from Guatemala, and Mr. Cherrie records but one 
from Costa Rica. Grayson © says that at Tepic he observed one of these Merlins daily 
perched on the top of a tree growing in the plaza, where it preyed on the numerous 
small ‘ Cow-pen-Blackbirds,” returning to the tree from time to time to leisurely 
devour its victim. Between cight and twelve o'clock in the morning he noticed one 
kill no less than three of these birds. The species remained in the same locality 
from November to January. 
This Merlin breeds in the northern parts of North America, but is found on the 
mountains further south. 
In the winter /. columbarius often migrates in considerable flocks, and is destructive 
to many kinds of small birds, but it also attacks Pigeons, and occasionally carries off 
chickens. According to Dr. A. K. Fisher, its food also comprises small mammalia 
and insects, such as crickets, dragonflies, beetles, &c. 
The nest is generally placed on ledges or in cavities of cliffs, but occasionally the 
bird will build a somewhat bulky nest in a tree. The eggs vary from four to six 
in number ; they are rich reddish-brown, with blotches of vinous or chestnut-brown, 
entirely concealing the creamy-white ground-colour. 
7. Falco richardsoni. 
Falco esalon, Swains. Faun. Bor.-Am., Birds, t. 25 (nec Tunst.)’. 
Falco (Hypotriorchis) richardsonii, Ridgw. Pr. Ac. Phil. 1870, p. 143°. 
Falco (Atsalon) lithofalco, var. richardsoni, Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 148°. 
Falco richardsonii, Ridgw. Man. N. Amer. Birds, ed. 2, p. 251*; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. 
Birds, i. p. 303°; Fisher, Bull. U.S. Dep. Agr. no. 3, p. 114°; A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. 
Birds, p. 139°. 
