200 [April, 1847. 



of the high limestone mountain called La Silla, about seven miles from the 

 coast : my attention was called to them by my companion, a resident of the 

 island, who assured me they were extremly rare, and he hoped we should be 

 able to shoot them ; we were then on the peak of the mountain, and after a 

 little chase, were so fortunate as to obtain both the male and female. My note 

 is literally as follows : 



" Gabilan azul, blue hawk of the Spaniards, male and female, very rare and 

 difficult to shoot. Pupil black, with a greenish-yellow iris." 



The food of these birds was stated to be various birds, of which doves were 

 the most abundant on the spot, with perhaps an occasional relish of lizards, 

 which were also abundant. I understood that these hawks frequented the 

 most lofty and solitary peaks and were not often seen below. We considered 

 ourselves extremely fortunate in the acquisition of this fine pair of birds. 

 Respectfully yours, Richard C. Taylor. 



Mr. John Cassin. 



The bill in this species is very large in proportion to the size of the bird, and 

 it agrees, moreover, tolerably well with the leritten description of Falco magni- 

 rostris, Gmelin, so does the young Cymindis uncaDitus, Illig. All authors, 

 however, except Dr. Latham, clearly understood the F. magnirostri3 to be 

 the bird figured in Enl. 464, which is a common South American species of 

 the genus Astur. 



Dr. Latham, in his article on F. magnirostris, Gen. His. vol. 1, p. 282, gives a 

 description of a bird suspected by him to be the species intended by Gmelin, 

 which applies very well to Cymindis cayanensis,Gm., in young plumage, but 

 not to C. Wilsonii. 



I have named this species in honor of Dr. Thomas B. Wilson, as a slight 

 tribute to his merits as a man, and his munificence as a patron of Zoological 

 science. 



Remarks on the Birds observed in Upper California. 



By Wm. Gambel. 



(Continued from page 158.) 



PASSERES. 



Lanius Ludovicianus, Linn. Loggerhead Shrike. 



L. excubitoroides, Swains. Northern Zool. p. 115, pi. 34. 



In the Shrikes we are presented with a group of birds closely allied to each 

 other, and undergoing such changes in plumage as renders them difficult to 

 discriminate. Although examined with great care by Swainson in the Fauna 



