458 PREYING BIRDS — KAPTORES. 



cheeks black. Under jiarts dull yellowish-white, darker than in adult, and with longi- 

 tudinal stripes of brownish-black ; tarsi and toes bluish lead-color. 



Total length, 18.00 to 20.00 ; wing, 14.00 to 15.00 ; tail, 7.00 to 8.00. 



Hah. North America, east of the Rocky Mountains. Jamaica, Cuba, and South 

 America. 



It was at one time supposed that there were many species of hawks allied 

 to the peregrine falcon of Europe, America, Japan, Australia, etc., all having 

 their presumed representatives. The tendency, however, of modern research 

 is to call all these one ; and the different forms referred to above seem to 

 lie considered merely as varieties, if even entitled to that rank. It is very 

 difficult to define with precision the races referred to, and individuals oc- 

 cur within the region of each one that have the characteristics of nearly all 

 the others. 



Without attempting here to solve this much-vexed question, I may re- 

 mark that North America has a large race of the Peregrine falcon of 

 Europe, known as the duck-hawk in the Atlantic States, and very altun- 

 dant in the whole region north of the boundary of the United States. This 

 is the Falco anatum, described at the head of this article. It appears to be 

 replaced on the Pacific Coast by the smaller variety, F. nicjrkrps, just re- 

 ferred to. Occasionally, however, a bird is killed on the Farallones, and 

 elsewhere, which is more nearly related to the anatum, differing from nigri- 

 ccps in considerably larger size, and particularly robust bill. 



The F. anatum has much the liabits described for nigriccijs, and, like it, is 

 a terror to all land animals weaker tlian itself. It breeds alnindantly in the 

 far north, chiefly on cbffs or rocks, and lays three or four chocolate-colored 

 eggs. (Baird.) 



Falco polyagrus, Cassin. 



THE PBAIBIE HAWK. 



Falco poh/arp-iis, Cassis, Birds of Cat. and Tex. I. 185.3, 88; pi. 16. — In. P. K. Rep. Birds, 



IX. 12. — SucKLEY, XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 14.3. — Kexnerlt,X. iv. 19. — Heer.mann, 



X. vi. 31. — Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 323. (Texas.) — CouES, Pr. A. N. Sc. 1866, 42. 

 Falco Mexicanus, Schlegel. 



Sp. Cn.\n. A narrow white frontal band ; line over the eye and entire under parts 

 white ; breast and abdomen with longitudinal stripes and spots of brown, a large brown 

 spot on the flanks. Upper parts brown, paler on the rump ; tail above grayish-lirown, 

 naiTowly tipped -with white, and with transverse bands of white ; quills dark grayish- 

 brown ; edge of wing at shoulder white. Beneath spotted with brown, the brown of the 

 back extending somewhat on to the breast at the wing. 



Young, with the white parts nnich obscured Ijy brown ; above paler with rufous streaks, 

 and below with a dark brown stripe on nearh- every feather. 



