FALCONIDiE— THE HAWKS — FALCO. 



459 



Length, 18.00 to 20.00 ; extent, 39.00 to 45.00 ; wing, 13.00 to 14.00 ; tail, 7.50 to 8.00. 

 Bill Ijhiisli-wliite ; iris brown ; cere and feet )-ellow (lead-oolur in young). (Cassin.) 

 Ilah. Western North America. 



Tills hawk rarely visits the coast border, altliough Dr. Heermann records 

 ]ia\ing shot a straggler od the Farallones. At Sail Diego I saw two or 

 three times what I supposed to be this bird, but could not get near enough 

 to be certain of it. At Martinez, in December, 1863, I succeeded in shoot- 

 ing one as it tlew away I'rom its perch on the approach of a wagon in which 

 I was riding. It seems to be the shyest of hawks, and is also one of 

 the swiftest, Hying -witli rapid fla^jpings of the wings, like other falcons. 

 It prefers tlie Ijorders of prairies, where it catches hares, quails, and other 

 larger game, which these nobler falcons jJi'd'er to the smaller and more taste- 



less or disagreeable vermin on which other hawks prey. It extends its 

 migrations in summer to the Upper Columbia, but avoids the densely forest- 

 clad regions. I have seen but few of the species in the State, though my 

 explorations of the interior have not been sufficient to determine its true 

 range of migration and liabits. Its nest and e<'us are still unknown to 

 naturalists. Dr. Heermann saw a young unfledged one at San Francisco, so 

 that it doubtless breeds witliin the State. It extends its range eastward to 

 the plains east of the Rocky JMountains. 



