40 NORTH AMERICAN OOLOGY. PART I. 



ELANUS LEUCURUS. 



Falco dispar, TEMM. PI. Col. I, 1820, Div. 54. 

 BONAP. Syn. App. 1828, p. 435. 

 " NUTTALL, Manual, I, 1832, 93. 



AUD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1835, 397, pi. ccclii. 

 Elanus leucurus, BONAP. Geog. and Comp. List, 1838, p. 4. 



CASSIN, Syn. N. A. Birds (Illust. Birds of Gal.), 1854, p. 106. 



Birds, Gilliss's U. S. Nav. Astr. Exp. II, 1835, 175. 

 Mikus leucurus, VIEILL. Nouv. Diet. XX, 1818, 563. 

 Elanus dispar, AUD. Syn. 1839, p. 13. 



" " Birds of Am. I, 1840, 70, pi. xvi. 



GAY, Fauna Chilena, Aves, 1854, p. 33, pi. ii. 

 Falco melanopterus, BONAP. Jour. Acad. Phila. V, 28. 



Syn. 1828, p. 31. 

 Am. Orn. II, pi. xi, fig. 1. 



VULG. Black-shouldered Hawk. Black-winged Hau-k. While-tailed Hawk. Bailairin 

 (Chile). 



ALTHOUGH this species is quite abundant in the Southern States, from South Caro- 

 lina south and west, and equally common in California, I am not able to illustrate 

 its eggs, nor am I aware that any naturalist has discovered or described them, 

 with the exception of Lieutenant Gilliss, who met with them in his recent naval 

 astronomical expedition to Chile. Mr. Audubon, quoting Mr. Ward, states that the 

 nests of this Hawk are placed on low trees, near the margins of rivers, and resemble 

 those of the Crow, but with none of the substantial lining of that bird's nest. He 

 says nothing of their eggs. 



Mr. Nuttall, who incorrectly states that they are only seen in the United States 

 in Florida, and then only occasionally, adds, that they build in the forks of trees a 

 broad and shallow nest, lined internally with moss and feathers, and lay four or five 

 eggs, but gives no description of them. 



This species has been met with in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, 

 Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and probably also in Mexico and New Mexico. 

 Dr. Gambel describes them as very abundant in California, where I am informed they 

 are familiar in their habits, and breed in clumps of oaks, in the immediate vicinity 

 of habitations. Dr. Heermann speaks of them as common in that State. But nei- 

 ther of these naturalists appears to have met with their nests or eggs. It is not 

 mentioned either as a bird of Cuba or Jamaica by Mr. Lembeye, Dr. Gundlach, or 

 Mr. Gosse. 



Mr. Gilliss obtained specimens of this bird in Chile, and Mr. Cassin, in his report 

 upon the birds obtained in that expedition, infers from this that the species " has 

 an extensive range of locality, embracing the southern portion of the United States, 

 Mexico, Central America, and the countries of Western South America. 



The only knowledge we have of its eggs is derived from the notes of Lieutenant 



