BIRDS — ACCiriTRlNAK — ACCIPITER MEXICANU8. 



17 



two of which are from Wasliington Territory, and one from California. These being, however, 

 in young plumage, may be regarded as very probably showing conclusively that this bird is 

 resident in tliose localities, and is also, in all probability, tiiroughout tlio tciniienite regions of 

 North America. Some authors even, though probably erroneously, assign it to South America 

 also. 



List of specimeiis. 



E 



a e> 



O a: 



Locality. 



When collected. 



Whence and how 

 obtained. 



Collected by- 



J3 



a 



a 

 a 



Measurements. 



O .5 



bo 



a 



5792 

 6578 

 6846 

 8511 

 8512 

 4352 

 6876 

 4619 



Society Hill, S. C 



Republican fork, K. T . 

 Fort Steilacoom, W. T . 



do do 



Yakima river, W. T... 



Presidio, Cal 



Sacramento valley, Cal. 

 Colorado river, Cal 



April 30, 1855. 

 Aug. 17,1850. 

 Sept. 1856. 

 Oct. 10, 1856. 

 Sept. 10,1856. 



M. A. Curtis. 

 Lieut. Bryan. 

 Dr. Suckley . 

 do 



383 



540 

 585 



W. S. Wood... 



18.25 

 19.00 



25.00 

 30.00 



Oct. 28, 1854. 



Gov. Stevens I 585 Dr. Cooper 



Lieut. Trowbridge.' ' 



Lieut. Williamson. ' Dr. Heermann 



Major Emory ' 53 | A. Schott 



18.00 



31.00 



ACCIPITER MEXICANUS, Swain son. 



Jlecipiter Mexieanus, Swains. Faun. Bor. Amer. Birds, p. 45, (1831.) 



(Not figured.) 



Intermediate between ,iccipiUr Cooperi and ^Iccipiter fuscus in size, and much resembling both in colors. Form slender and 

 long, wings short, tail long, legs rather long, slender. 



Mtill. — Head above bluish black ; other upper parts dark brownish black, with a tinge of cinereous, darkest on the back; 

 thmatand other under tail coverts white ; other under parts fine light rufous, darkest on the tibice, and spotted and barred 

 transversely with white, which bars and spots are nearly obsolete on the breast and tibite ; longitudinal dark lines on the sliafis 

 of the feathers (conspicuous on the under parts in A. Cooptri) only on the breast ; quills dark brown, with their outer edges 

 cinereous, and with bands of dark brown and white on their inner webs ; tail dark cinereous, tipped with white, and having 

 four wide bands of brownish black ; bill bluish black ; cere and larsi yellow, iris yellow. 



Young. — Entire upper parts dark brown, every feather on the head above and neck behind edged with yellowish red, which 

 color predominates on t>.ose parts in some specimens ; under parts white, more or less tinged with dull yellow, every feather 

 having a narrow longitudinal stripe of brown, and frequently a transverse band of the same near the base of the feather. The 

 stripes often assume a falchion or imperfectly sagittate shape on the flanks. Under wing coverts yellowish white, with ovate 

 and cordate spots of brown ; tail as in adult ; upper tail coverts frequently lipped with white ; iris, cere, and tarsi, light 

 yellow. 



Dimtnsions. — Male, total length, 15 to 16 inches ; wing 9, tail 8 inches. Female, total length, 17 to 18 inches ; wing 9J to 10, 

 tail 9 inches. 



A western species, but not so exclusively so as has been supposed. In the present collection 

 specimens are from New Mexico and the Yellow Stone river, as well as from Oregon and Cali- 

 fornia, as will be seen in the localities given below. 



This bird bears an extraordinary resemblance to both Accipiter Cooperi and Accipiterfuscus, 

 and, in fact, specimens occasionally occur which cannot be distinguished without difficulty. 

 3b 



