552 NESTS AND EGGS OF ARIZONA BIRDS. 



National Museum collection. They seem to be a sby bird, frequenting 

 the base of the mountains, distant from human habitations. Lieutenant 

 Benson writes that he has seen but a single pair in any locality within 

 5 or 10 miles of each other. The nests, of which he has observed 

 three, are largo and bulky, composed of sticks, and are lined with a few 

 Knives only. Two of these were placed in sycamore trees and one in a 

 cotton-wood tree, about 40 feet from the ground. Two of the nests 

 contained young when found, the remaining one but a single Q}i}i:i 

 slightly incubated. This nest was found May 0, 1886, in a sycamore 

 tree in a deep arroj o, near the base of the Huachuca Mountains. The 

 parents were shot. The egg is ovate in shape, ground-color greenish 

 white, and this is sparsely covered with small spots and blotches vary- 

 ing from burnt-umber to tawnyolive, and these are principally dis- 

 tributed about the center of the egg. It measures 2.33 by 1.84 inches, 

 and is large for the size of the bird. This hawk, I think, is only a sum- 

 mer resident of Arizona Territory, not having been observed later than 

 the month of November by Lieutenant Benson. 



NO. 359. FALCO FUSCO CCERULESCENS Vieili- 

 'J'lIE Aplomato Fai.cox. 



This handsome little Falcon is exceedingly shy anddifBcult to approacli, 

 but is fairly common in tlie vicinity of Fort Huachuca. It often alights 

 on tlie ground when hunted. Lieutenant Jjeuson does not consider it 

 resident throughout the year, but writes that he has observed it as late 

 as January, however. It seems to prefer the ])lains covered here ami 

 there with low mesquite trees, yuccas, and cacti, to the more mountain- 

 ous regions. Five nests were taken by Lieutenant Benson during tlie 

 spring of 1887, all of them i)laced in low nuvsquite trees, from 7 to 15 feet 

 from the ground. The nests were apparently old White-necked Kaven's 

 nests Corvus cryptoleucus Couch, used without any repairs being made 

 to them whatever. 



The lirst nest, found April 25, 1887, contained three young birds, wliich 

 were raised and became quite tame. The second nest was taken April 

 28, and contained three fresh eggs. These measure 1.82 by 1.38, 1.78 

 by 1.38, and 1.72 by 1.40 inches. 



Another nest, found May 5, contained also three eggs, two with large 

 embryoes, the third addled. These eggs measure 1.80 by 1.32, 1.7G by 

 1.31, and 1.70 by 1.36 inches. The fourth nest, found May 14, contained 

 two fresh eggs nieasuring 1.80 by 1.35, and 1.71 by 1.33 inches. 



A fifth nest, found on the same day, contained likewise two fresh eggs. 

 These are notin the collection, and no metisurements can be given of them. 

 The eggs of this Falcon are elliptical-ovate in slia])e. The ground color 

 appears to be a dirty yellowish white, and this is thickly covered with 

 reddish and chestnut-brown blotches and spots of various sizf^s. so as 

 to almost completely obscure the ground-color. In one of the sets these 



