HYPOTHETICAL LIST. 747 



ordinary circumstances and doubtless is the species which has given rise 

 to the reports mentioned. The Black Vulture is more southern in its 

 distribution and is much less common in most parts of the south. 

 Of course it is by no means impossible that wanderers may occur in Mich- 

 igan, but we have yet to learn of a record. The specimen reported, as 

 shot near Goodrich, Genesee county by Dr. Green, October 10, 1888, and 

 preserved in Mr. Spicer's collection, proves on examination to be a Turkey 

 Buzzard. 



European Buzzard. Buteo buteo (Linn.). (336) 



A native of Europe and western Asia which closely resembles several 

 of our buzzard hawks, especially Swainson's Hawk and the Red-tailed 

 Hawk in certain plumages. It occurs in Kneeland's hst of the birds of 

 Keweenaw Point, Lake Superior, under the name of Buteo vulgaris, Bechst., 

 but probably was based on Swainson's Hawk, which Kneeland did not 

 record and which he probably mistook for the European Buzzard. There 

 are several other records, especially one of a specimen said to have been 

 taken at Paw Paw, Van Buren county, Michigan, about October 1, 1873, 

 by J. D. Allen; identified by Ridgway, and now in the National Museum. 

 The species was included by Coues in the 5th edition of his "Key," 1903, 

 also in Ridgway's Manual and in the A. O. U. Check-hst (2d ed., 1905), 

 number 336, all largely on the strength of this single specimen. 



More or less doubt has always attached to the Michigan specimen above 

 cited; not as to the specimen itself, which was correctly identified, but 

 as to its origin in Michigan. It is now believed that through an unin- 

 tentional interchange of specimens a European skin was included with 

 others collected in America and that there is no actual record of the 

 European Buzzard for this countrv. Hence it is omitted entirely from 

 the latest edition (1910) of the A. 0. U. Check-hst. 



Western Red-tail. Buteo borealis calurus Cass. (337b) 



Very similar to the common Red-tail, but decidedly darker, some speci- 

 mens almost black everywhere except on the tail. The tail is like that 

 of the ordinary Red-tail, but always with a black subterminal band and 

 sometimes with several narrower dark bands. 



Distribution. — Western North America, from the Rocky ]Mountains to 

 the Pacific, south into Mexico; casually east to Illinois. 



It is supposable that the Western Red-tail should occur accidentally 

 in Michigan, but we do not know of a Michigan specimen in any collection. 

 The late Dr. J. W. Velie, of St. Joseph, told the writer that while at 

 Petoskey, Emmet county, in September 1893, he saw a perfectly black 

 Red-tailed Hawk at very close range. He was riding on an open car at 

 the time and the bird was fiightened by the engine and flew up and alighted 

 on a jjranch close to the ti-ack and sat there with wings spread and mouth 

 wide open while the train passed. Dr. Velie was so close that he "could 

 see every feather on the bird" and is positive that it was a black Buteo. 

 This is a good example of a questionable record. The observer probably 

 was as well qualified to identify the bird in question as anyone could be, 

 and the view of the bird left little to be desired. Nevertheless it may have 

 been Buteo borealis harlani, and there is even a possibility that it was a 



