292 NORTH AMERICAX BIRDS. 



grouud-color is a ven^ lijjbt buff, tlie spottings and markings giving to it 

 the eflect of a yello\\isli-whit«. It is marked over tiie entire surface with 

 blotches, dashes, and lines of a light tint of a brown tending to Vandyke. 

 These are mixed with markings of a lighter purplish-brown. The markings, 

 of both shades, are chiefly oblong in shape, and run with the length of the 

 egg. They bear no resemblance to any eggs of the B. borcalis that I have 

 ever seen, and are unlike those of other Hawks so far as I am aware. It 

 was built on tlie top of a large e\-ergreen-oak, at least seve'nty feet from the 

 ground, and was constructed entirely of large, coarse sticks, lined witli a few 

 stray feathers. The male liird was shot as it fiew from the nest, which was 

 so hidden bj' the thick branches that it would ha\e escaped detection. 



The black form of tliis species was first described by ilr. Cassin as Buieo 

 calurus, in 1855, from a specimen procured by Dr. Henry near Fort Web- 

 ster, New Jlexico. In this plumage it was afterwards met with" by ilr. 

 Emanuel Samuels, near Petaluma, in California, who found it breeding, and 

 was fortunate enough to secure the parent bird on its nest. 



The nest was built near the top of an evergreen-oak, at the height of 

 about sbcty feet from the ground, and contained two eggs just on the point 

 of hatching. It was constructed of sticks, and was lined with moss. Both 

 birds were about the spot. The male bird, manifesting much more courage 

 than his mate in resistance to tlie intruders, was shot. The female was 

 wounded, but escaped. 



One of these eggs measures 2.25 inches in length by 1.79 in breadth. Its 

 capacity is considerably less than that of the specimens just described ; its 

 shape is a much more oblong-oval; one end is evidently more pointed than the 

 other. Its ground-color is a dirty cream-white, covered, chiefly at the larger 

 end, with blotches and smaller markings of a dark shade of a brown almost 

 exactly corresponding with that known as vandyke-brown, with smaller 

 markings and spottings of a lighter shade of the same. The latter are dis- 

 tributed at inter\^als over its entire surface. 



A nest, foimd by Mr. Xantus near Fort Tejon, is stated by him to have 

 been found in a swamp. It was built in a water-oak, was about fifteen feet 

 from the ground. The nest was very large and was built of coarse sticks. 

 It contained four eggs. 



Buteo harlani (AupUBoy). 



HAKLAN'S HAWK; "BLACK WABBIOB." 



Fako harlani, ArD. B. Am. 1S31, pi. xxxri ; Ib. Om. Biog. I, 441. — Brewee ('W'n.s.), 

 Am. Orn. Synop. 1852, 684. Buico harlani, Bonap. List, 1838, 3. — AuD. Synop. 

 1839, 6. — Gk.\t, List B. Brit. Mus. 18.— De K.\y, Zobl. K. Y. 11, 11. — Stricki.. 

 Om. Spi. I, 30. — Cass. Birds N. Am. 1858, 24 (adult, but not the description of 

 young, which is that of B. borcalis, rar. calurus). — Coi'E.s, P. A. If. S. 1866, 43. — 

 Gray, Hand List, I, 7 (under 5. iwrw/w). — Ridgway, P. A. N. S. Dec. 1870, 142.— 

 CouES, Key, 1872, 216. 



