40 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



even seen the falcon watching on a pine for the grouse to emerge from 

 the snow at its foot. On February 7, 1895, an adult Prairie Falcon 

 (now in my possession) was shot by a neighbor, J. C. Braley, at 

 Terry, under peculiar circumstances. His wife was cooking beetroot 

 and threw out the refuse on the snow, when the falcon, passing over- 

 head, stooped to the beetroot which it probably mistook for raw meat." 

 That these falcons do thus pass the winters in this cold Montana 

 climate was also noted by Bendire (1892): "I have met with them 

 (during winter) at Fort Walla Walla, Washington, and also shot an 

 adult male on February 19, 1885, at Fort Custer, Montana, while 

 the weather was still intensely cold." 



Although this is a bird of the wide open spaces, it was seen inside 

 the city limits of Denver in December 1919, at least. There it was 

 supposed to have preyed on j uncos and English sparrows. Curious 

 to say, Dr. Fisher found these falcons under nearly the opposite condi- 

 tions in winter, in Death Valley, Calif. There is additional evidence 

 that many falcons spend at least the winters over the desert ranges 

 of southern California and Nevada. 



Prairie falcons are resident in most of the California habitat, and 

 their winter habits are not known to differ from those of other seasons. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Western United States and southern Canada east to south- 

 eastern Saskatchewan, the Dakotas, and Missouri and south to 

 Mexico and Lower California. Accidental in Minnesota, Wisconsin, 

 Illinois, and the Farallon Islands. 



Breeding range. — The breeding range of the prairie falcon extends 

 north to northern Washington (probabty Lake Chelan) ; southeastern 

 British Columbia (Osoyoos Lake and probably Deer Park) ; southern 

 Alberta (Elbow River, Milk River, and Little Sandhill Creek); 

 southern Saskatchewan (Eastend and probably Last Mountain); 

 and North Dakota (Fort Lincoln). East to North Dakota (Fort 

 Lincoln); southeastern South Dakota (Harrison); and northwestern 

 Missouri (Maryville). South to northwestern Missouri (Maryville); 

 northern Texas (Blanco Canyon); New Mexico (Mesa Pajarito, 

 Montoya, Santa Rosa, Capitan Mountains, probably Big Hachita 

 Mountains, and Animas Mountains); southern Arizona (Tombstone 

 and Huachuca Mountains); and Baja California (San Luis Island and 

 San Esteban). West to Baja California (San Esteban); California 

 (San Pasqual, Colton, probably Mount Pinos, Sargents, Berkeley, 

 East Park, and probably Shasta Valley); Oregon (Fort Klamath, 

 Prineville, and The Dalles); and Washington (probably Walla Walla, 

 Cheney, and probably Lake Chelan). 



Winter range. — The winter range of this falcon extends north nearly 

 to the limits of its breeding range. At this season it is found north to 



