90 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



Falco coluEQbarius richardsonii (Ridgw.). 



Eichardson's Merlin. 



An adult male Merlin (No. 17,872) in full autumn plumage, taken by Mr. 

 Frazar at San Jose del Cabo, on October 31, is apparently referable to ridmrdsonii, 

 although it is far from typical, being quite as deeply colored as are light speci- 

 mens of colwnbarius, and, like that species, having the outer webs of the outer 

 two primaries perfectly plain. The remaining primaries, however, are con- 

 spicuously spotted on their outer webs, but the markings are bluish gray, of 

 al)out the same shade as the mantle, instead of nearly white, as in richardsoiiii. 

 The tail has five light and five dark bands, counting the terminal (light) 

 aiid subterminal (dark) ones. This specimen is almost perfectly matched by 

 another in my collection, of corresponding age and sex, from Larimer County, 

 Colorado. It is difficult to see how such birds can be regarded other than as 

 intermediate, and hence coTinecting, links between richardsonii and columbarius. 

 Although Richardson's Merlin is chiefly confined to the interior districts of 

 North America, it has been occasionally taken in California. 



Falco sparverius deserticolus Mearns. 

 Desert Sparrow Hawk. 



(?) Tinnunculus sparverius (not Falco sparverius Linnaeus) Belding, Proc. U. S. 



Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 543 (Cape Region) ; VI. 1883, 350, part (Victoria Mts.) 

 (?) Falco sparverius (not of Linnaeus) Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci , 2d ser., II. 



1889, 281, part (Cape Region). 



Among the Sparrow Hawks sent me from the Cape Region by Mr. Frazar 

 are four females, which are not only much larger than any of the others, 

 but quite equal in size to average specimens of deserticolus, to which I refer 

 them without hesitation. Three of these birds were obtained at San Jose del 

 Cabo on September 17, October 19 and October 31, respectively, while the 

 fourth was taken at Triunfo on December 22. From this we may infer that 

 the form deserticolus is of not uncommon occurrence in the Cape Region in 

 autumn and winter. Its general range includes practically the whole of the 

 western United States, and extends from British Columbia to Mazatlan in 

 northwestern Mexico. 



Falco sparverius peninsularis Mearns. 



St. Lucas Sparrow Hawk. 



Tinnunculus sparverius (not Falco sparverius Linnaeus) Baird, Cat. N. Amer. Birds, 

 1859, no. 13, part; Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 301, 302 (Cape St. 

 Lucas). C?) Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 543 (Cape Region) ; 

 VI. 1883, 350, part (Victoria Mts.). 



