126 FALCONID. 
Long. tota circa 22-5, ale 16-2, caude 8-9, culm. cum cera 1:9, tarsi 3°6. (Descr. maris ex Corpus Christi, 
Texas. Mus. nostr.) 
ad. mari similis. Long. tota circa 21:5, ale 15:2. 
Juv. Brunneus, interscapulii plumis et tectricibus alarum albido medialiter striatis et saturate brunneo apicem 
versus lineatis; remigibus et rectricibus fere ut in adultis coloratis; facie laterali et gutture toto 
ochrascenti-fulvis ; plaga pectorali rufescente, plumis longitudinaliter fulvo striatis; corpore reliquo 
subtus rufescenti-brunneo, rufo letius striolato; abdomine albo et subcaudalibus quoque albis. (Deser. 
exempl. juv. ex San Antonio, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 
Pull. duvedine fusco indutus, subtus magis cinerascens; area alari et hypochondriarum lateribus saturate 
brunneis ; collo undique cum regione scapulari et gutture toto cervinis. (Descr. exempl. ex Mazatlan. 
Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Nortn America, Southern States from Florida to Texas and Lower California.— 
Mexico (Bullock 19), Hot and temperate regions of both Coasts (Swmichrast®), 
Guaymas (Belding ®), Presidio de Mazatlan (Forrer), Mazatlan (Bischoff*,.G@ray- 
son 31), Hacienda Angostura in San Luis Potosi, Jalisco (Jowy 1"), Guanajuato, 
Guadalajara (Dugés *3), Santana near Zapotlan (Lloyd), Colima (Xantus **), 
Mirador (Sartorius +), Zacatecas, Tampico (Richardson), Monterey (Couch *), 
Valley of Mexico (Herrera}%), Jalapa (de Oca 22, Chapman 8), Orizaba (Botteri*), 
Llano de San Baltazar !, Parada (Ferrari-Perez), Merida in Yucatan (Schott °8, 
Salazar *, Gaumer), Izamal (Gaumer); Guatemala (Constancia 6) Duefas ?°, 
Escuintla, San José de Guatemala (0. 8S. & F. D. G.), San Gerénimo (Owen *) ; 
Honpuras, San Pedro (Whitely 24); Nicaragua, Chinandega (Hopkins, in U. S. 
Nat. Mus.4), San Juan del Sur 9, Sucuya !° (Nutting); Costa Rica (v. Frantzius”*), 
San José (Carmiol 2", Cherrie}%), Alajuela (Zeledon 12).—Sovutu AMERICA, northern 
portion from Ecuador ? to Guiana ?. 
This species breeds in the Southern United States and throughout the greater part 
of Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua; but in Yucatan, according to Gaumer 7 it is 
somewhat scarce, and though also found in Costa Rica, we have no record of its 
breeding there. 
In many of its habits, P. cheriway resembles the Turkey Vultures, and, like the 
latter, is a useful scavenger, devouring offal and carrion, also eating lizards, snakes, 
birds, frogs, crabs, small rodents, and sometimes pursuing full-grown hares. The bird 
runs rapidly and strikes its prey with its feet, after the manner of a Cariama or a 
Secretary-bird 5, When in search of food, the Caracara is by no means shy, but 
at other times is difficult of approach. It has a powerful flight and will often attack 
birds larger than itself, occasionally even forcing Pelicans to disgorge their prey. 
‘The nest, composed of twigs, reeds, and coarse grass, lined with leaves, cotton, and 
moss, and having a small cavity, is placed in low bushes on the bare plains, or in other 
localities in trees at a height of forty or fifty feet from the ground. SBendire records 
that the eggs, varying from three to five in number, are laid at intervals of several 
days, and according to locality, from February to April; their ground-colour is white, 
overlaid with rufous and spotted or blotched with brown and purple. 
