MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 831 



Falco Wilsoni Bonap., Journ. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., Ill, 348, 1824. 

 Sparvius platypterus Vieillot, Encyc. Meth., Ill, 1273, 1823. 

 Buteo orypterus Cassin, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., 282, 1855. — Cassin, 

 Baud's Birds of N. Am., 31, 1858. 



" Common." — Boardman. Audubon, however, gives it as rare south 

 of the Middle States, and it is uot mentioned by Dr. Coues in his list 

 of the birds of South Carolina. There is, however, a specimen in the 

 Museun of Comparative Zoology labelled as having been taken in 

 Florida. 



As previously observed, it appears to me that the Buteo oxypterus of 

 Cassin, described from a single specimen taken at Fort Filmore, New 

 Mexico, corresponds more nearly with the young of this species than with 

 any known stage or form of B. borealis. 



89* Circus cyaneus Bote. Marsh Hawk. 



Falco cyaneus Linn., Syst. Nat. I, 126, 1766. — Bonap., Am. Orn., II, 30. — 



Audubon, Orn. Biog., IV, 396, pi. ccclvi, 1838. 

 Circus cyaneus Boie, Isis, 1822, 549. — Audubon, Synop., 19, 1839. — G. R. 



Gray, Gen. of Birds, I, p. 32. — Ibid., Cat. Brit. Birds, 17, 1863. 

 Falco hudsonius Linn., Syst. Nat., I, 128, 1766. 

 Falco uliginosus Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I, 278, 1788. 

 Circus uliyinosus Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept., I, 37, 1807. 

 Falco uliginosus Wilson, Am. Orn., VI, 67, pi. li, fig. 2, 1812. 

 Buteo ( Circus) cyaneus ? var. ? americanus, Rich, and Swain., Faun. Bor. Am., 



II, 55, pi. xxix, 1831. 

 Circus hudsonius Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept., I, 36, 1 807. — Cassin, 111. Birds 



Cal., Texas, etc., 108, 1854 —Brewer, N. Am. Ool., 42, 1857. — Cassin, 



Baird's Birds N. Am, 38, 1858. 

 Circus variegatns Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept., I, 37, 1807. 

 Strigiceps uliginosus Bonap., Geog. and Comp. List, 5, 1838. 

 Strigiceps pygargus Bonap., Ibid. 



Common about the savannas. 



The present species has been considered by most writers as identical 

 with the C. cyaneus of the Old World. It was first separated as a dis- 

 tinct species by Bonaparte in 1838, in his Geographical and Comparative 

 List. Mr. Cassin also regarding it as distinct, this opinion has been 

 generally adopted by recent American ornithologists. They seem to be, 

 however, quite identical. 



The same variation in color between eastern and western specimens is 

 seen in this species that has been noted in others of this family, the young 

 western ones especially being much brighter colored than the eastern. 



