FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 



155 



berry, and on climbing the tree I found a heavy platform of sticks 

 three feet wide lined with Spanish moss. The young blundered out 

 on my approach, showing the nest to be fairly covered with bones 

 of wood rats. There were a do/en skulls, and bones, legs, skin, 

 and fur were strewn over the nest. YKKNOX BAILEY. 



GENUS BUTEO. 



General Characters. Size medium and large, form heavy ; wings longer 

 than tail ; emarginate primaries 3 or 4 ; sexes alike or similar ; female 

 larger than male ; melanism frequent. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Three outer primaries with inner 

 webs distinctly cut out 



2. Primaries exceeding secondaries 



by nearly length of tail. Fig. 2-25. 



semietti, p. 158. 

 2'. Primaries exceeding secondaries by much less than length of tail. 



3. Wing over 14 swaiiisoili, p. 159. 



3'. Wing under 11.50 platypterus, p. 160. 



1'. Four outer primaries with inner webs cut out. 



'2. Outer webs of primaries spotted with white, buffy, 



or brownish elegans. p. 157. 



2'. Outer webs of primaries without white, buffy, or fig. 226. 



brownish spots, but with quadrate bands. 



3. Tail black or blackish, crossed by white zones. 



abbreviates, p. 157. 



-HO 



'} . Tail with more or less 



of reddish brown. Fig. 227. 



4. Upper parts strikingly marked and 

 spotted with white. 



kriderii. p. 156. 

 4 . Upper parts not strikingly spotted 



with white. 

 5. Tail dark rufous. 



borealis, p. 155. 

 5'. Tail pale rufous, calurus, p. 156. 



337. 



From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of 

 Agriculture. 



Fig. 228. 



Buteo borealis (Gmel.}. 

 RED-TAILED HAWK. 



Adults. - - Upper parts blackish brown, 

 with white and gray markings ; tail red- 

 dixh brown, usually with black subter- 

 minal band ; under parts white to black- 

 ish, with or without rusty on breast. 

 Young : tail gray, crossed by 6 to 10 

 dark bands ; belly crossed by blackish 

 zone. Male: length 19.00-22.50, wing 

 13.50-16.50, tail 8.50-10.00, bill .95- 



