62 2>r. A, Hall on the Mammals and Birds 



inner edge. Length 24 inches ; alar expanse 50 inches ; 1st and 

 Yth primaries equal ; 2nd about 1^ inch longer than 6th ; 3rd 

 and 5th equal ; 4th longest; 2nd two lines longer than the 3rd» 

 tail square. " The female is generally lighter on the back, but 

 browner on the sides and belly. The young bird has the belt only 

 indicated by large brown spots on the side, with the feathers of 

 the thighs transversely barred. The tail with three broad bands 

 towards its extremity, and with the iris brownish yellow." 

 (Nuttall). 



7^. Sancti Johannis, Black hawk. 

 F. niger. Wilson ! 



Archibuteo Sancti Johannis. Gmelin ! Gray ! Baird ! 

 v.s.p. The only specimen of this species which has fallen 

 under my notice is a young bird shot this spring (1838) at the 

 Priests' Farm, Montreal, of which the following is a description. 

 I have little doubt but that this species and the former have fre- 

 quently been confounded by naturalists. 



" Bill black ; cere, angles of the mouth, and tarsi yellow ; eggs 

 unknown ; irides yellow ; whole dorsal and ventral aspects uni- 

 form blackish brown, with the white under surface of the feathers 

 appearing on crown and throat ; primaries, secondaries, and the 

 tail white, with their distal halves clove brown ; 3rd, 4th and 5th 

 primaries indented on their outer vanes; tail with brownish white 

 tips to the feathers and not barred, and with brownish white 

 shafts ; femorals long reaching nearly to the toes, with light 

 brown emarginations to the feathers ; tarsal feathers brown tip- 

 ped like the femorals ; 3rd primary longest ; 2nd shorter than 

 4th; 1st and 7th equal; hind claw longest; anterior middle 

 claw with an inner salient edge. Length 23 inches ; alar ex- 

 panse 43 inches. The bill, legs and claws more slender than in 

 the F. lag opus. Audubon considers the variety as the result of 

 age. He told me so in 1842, when in this city. 



F. Dawsonis. Dawson's Falcon. (New Species, Hall !) 

 I have only seen two specimens of this beautiful Falcon, the one 

 in the Museum of the Natural History Society, and evidently from 

 its dimensions, as well as fact, a female ; the other a young male 

 belonging to Mr. Hunter, the taxidermist of the Society. The 

 first was bought in the market of Montreal a few years ago, and 

 the second was shot at Lachine this autumn (1861) by a relation 

 of Mr. Hunter. It bears some resemblance to Prof. Cassin's Hiero* 



