470 



PREYING BIRDS — RAPTORES. 



tibiiB transversely barred with rutinis of a darker shade. Sometimes the breast and abdo- 

 men are nearly white, with some central lines of dark brown. Under wing coverts pale 

 yellowish-white, with brown spots ; sides with numerons narrow lanceolate and oblong 

 spots of dark brown and rufous : abdomen with a broad transverse baud of similar sjjots 

 varying in numbers, sometimes nearly all wanting. 



B. montanus. 



Youny, darker brown above, the feathers edged and spotted with white, tinged with 

 rufous. Beneath white, with large ovate and sagittate spots of dark brown, more numer- 

 ous on the abdomen. Tibial and under tail coverts white, with transverse bars and sjjots 

 of dark brown. Tail above ashy-brown, with abotit twelve to fourteen bars of brownish- 

 blaek. 



Length, 19.00 to 24.50; extent, 48.00 to 54.00; wing, 15.00 to 17.00; tail, 8.50 to 



10.00. Iris brown; bill bluish; eere and feet yellow. I'ou;/^?, with bill horu-blaek ; feet 

 greenish. 



Hub. Western North America.* 



This, ■which i.s the ino.st coiumoii of tlie genu,?, may be taken as a repre- 

 sentative of the hal:iit.s of all the other large species. They are common in 

 nearly all parts of the State and neighboring region.?, where not destitute of 

 trees, and reside permanently in most places, merely scattering in pairs 



* Buteo borealis, Gmelix, Syst. Nat. I. 1778, 266. — WiLsox, Am. Orn. VI. 75 ; pi. 52, f. 1 : 

 and 78 ; pi. 52. — Audubon, Birds Amer. jjl. 51 : oct. ed. 1, pi. 7. — Cassin, P. E. Rep. Birds, 

 IX. 25. 



