472 PREYING BIRDS — KAPTORES. 



Although this hawk umch resembles the coininou Red-tail, I am inclined 

 to think it>a distinct sijecies, as it is much heavier and stouter about the 

 chest than tliat bird, besides the ditfereuces of plumage. I ha\e never seen 

 them associated duiing the breeding-season, and tliink tliat this is a more 

 southern species in its range, as I have heard of none northward of Peta- 

 luma, where tliey •were i'ound breeding by j\Ir. Samuels, who obtained the 

 eggs. I have myself not met with its nest, nor seen tlie bird during tlie 

 warm season. In the cokl months tliey are common in tlic southern coun- 

 ties, and in liabits mucli resemble the Iled-tail at that time. 



The young ])lumage, not descrilied by Mr. C'assin, I have found as above 

 mentioned, and have little doulit tluit the Ijird was of tliis species. 



In the " Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hi.st. ]\Iarch, 1801," Dr. Henry P)ryant gives 

 a synopsis of the " varieties of B. horcalis" including montanus, ccdurus, 

 Cooperi? and Harlaai (of C'assin). Very dark specimens of viontanvs from 

 the north connect with a ferruginous ccdurus from Fort Tejon, and light ones 

 from Cape St. Lucas approach the Eastern £. borcalis. The possibility of 

 occasional hybrids should be considered. 



Buteo Cooperi, C'assin. 

 THE CALIFORNIA HAWK. 



Buteo Cooperi, Casstn, Pr. A. N. Sc. Pliil. VIII. 18.'j6, 25.3. Ib. P. P. Rep. Bird.';, IX. 

 1858, .31. — CoopEK, XII. iii. Zuol. of W. T. 18.^)9, 148 ; pi. xvi. 



Sp. CH.\n. Iinmature bird. Head above, and hind-nock with tlic fcatbcrs white at base, 

 and with a central stripe and tip of brown ; back and rnnip l:)row;iish-black, tinfjed with 

 cinereous; upper tail coverts white, transversely barred with dark brown, and tin>;cd with 

 rufous ; wing coverts and quills brownish-cinereous, the latter lighter ; inner webs of quills 

 white, mottled, and irregularly banded with light ashy; ends of quills nearly white. Tail 

 white at base ; external feathers with their outer webs cinereous, the inner white, niottleil 

 with cinereous, other tail feathers mottled and striped with white, rufous, brown, and 

 cinereous, darker on oitter web. A subterininal wide brown band, above this chiefly 

 rufous, and basal part of feathers white, tips whitish. Under parts white, with narrow 

 dark brown stripes on throat, neck, and flanks. A large spot of brownish-black on under 

 wing coverts, near upper edge of wing. Tibia; tinged with reddish-yellow. Iris dark 

 brown ; bill liluish ; cere and feet yellow. 



Female? Length, 20.50; extent, 51.00; wing, 15.00; tail, 9.00. 



Tins specimen (tlie original) still remains unique in collections, and 

 during my late exj^lorations I liave never seen any like it, excei)t ■\\liat I 

 mi.stook for the same in 18.55, and mentioned as sucli in my Eeport on the 

 Zoology of Wasliington Territory, etc. I am now satisfied that those were 

 merely the Airln'hidro /crriif/iunix, wliich closely resembles this in tlie color 



