FALC0XID2E — FALCONIXJI'J : FALCONS. 537 



itcd littlo falcon, generally distributed in N. Am., common, representing the merlin of 

 Europe, F. oesalon. Nests chietly northerly, on branches or in holes in trees, or on rocks; 

 eggs ranging in size and shape from 1.50 to 1.80 X 1-30, some being subspherical, others elon- 

 gate-oval. The coloration ranges from a nearly uniform deep rich brown (chestnut or burnt 

 sienna), to whitish or white, ouly marked with a hw indistinct dots of dull grayish or drab. 

 Such extremes are connected by every degree; a yellowish -brown ground-color, irregularly 

 splashed with rich ruddy brown, is the usual style. The markings may be very evenly dis- 

 tributed, or mostly gathered in a wreath around one or the other end, or even both ends. The 

 ipiarry is cliiefly birds, even up to the size of a ptarmigan. 



506. F. c. suck'leyi? (To Dr. Geo. Suckley.) A dark form, described from the N. W. coast. 

 Dubious. 



507. F. c. rich'ardsoni. (To Sir J. Richardson.) Richardson's Pigeon Hawk. American 

 Merlin. "Adult $ ; Upper plumage, dull earth-brown, each feather grayish-umber cen- 

 trally, and with a conspicuous black shaft-line. Head above, approaching ashy-white ante- 

 riorly, the black shaft-streaks being very conspicuous. Secondaries, primary-coverts, and 

 primaries, margined terminally with dull white; the primary- coverts with two transverse 

 series of pale ochraceous spots ; primaries, with spots of the same, corresponding with those 

 of the inner webs. Upper tail coverts, tipped and spotted beneath the surfece with white. 

 Tail, clear drab, much lighter than the primaries, but growing darker terminally, having 

 basally a slightly ashy cast, crossed with six sharply defined perfectly continuous bands (the 

 last terminal) of ashy-white. Head frontally, laterally, and beneath — a collar round the nape 

 (interrupting the brown above) — and entire lower parts, white, somewhat ochraceous, this 

 most perceptible on the tibiae; cheeks and ear-coverts with sparse, fine, hair-like streaks of 

 black ; nuchal collar, jugulum, breast, abdomen, sides, and flanks, with a median linear stripe 

 of clear ochre-brown on each feather ; these stripes broadest on the flanks ; each stripe with a 

 conspicuous black shaft-streak ; tibiae and lower tail-coverts with fine shaft-streaks of brown, 

 like the broader stripes of the other portions. Chin and throat, only, immaculate. Lining 

 of the wings spotted with ochraceous- white and brown, in about equal amount, the former in 

 spots approaching the shaft. Inner webs of primaries with transverse broad bars of pale och- 

 raceous — eight on the longest. Wing 7-70; tail .5.00; culmen 0.50; tarsus 1.30; middle 

 toe 1.25; outer 0.85; inner 0.70; posterior 0.60. Adult 9 '• Difi"ering in coloration from 

 the male <raly in the points of detail. Ground-color of the upper parts clear grayish-drab, the 

 fcatliers with conspicuously black shafts; all the feathers with pairs of rather indistinct rounded 

 ochraceous spots, these most conspicuous on the wings and scapulars. Secondaries crossed 

 with tliree bands of deeper, more reddish-ochraceous. Bands of the tail, pure white. In 

 other respects exactly like the male. Wing 9.00 ; tail 6.10; culmen 0.55 ; tarsus 1.40; mid- 

 dle toe 1.50; Young $ : Difiering from the adult only in degree. Upper surface with the 

 rusty borders of the feathers more washed over the general surface ; the rusty ochraceous 

 forming the ground-color of the head, — paler anteriorly, where the black shaft-streaks are 

 very conspicuous ; spots on the primary coverts and primaries deep reddish ochraceous ; tail- 

 bands broader than in the adult and more reddish ; the terminal one twice as broad as the rest 

 (0.40 of an inch), and almost cream color. Beneath, pale ochraceous, this deepest on the 

 breast and sides; markings as in the adult, but anal region and lower tail-coverts innnacu- 

 late; the shaft-streaks on the tibiaj, also, scarcely discernible. Wing 7.00; tail 4.60." 

 (Ridgway.) Interior N. Am., especially from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mts. ; very near the 

 last, both being closely related to F. ccsalon, the fewer bars on the wings and tail apparently 

 the principal character. A 9 I took in Dakota measures : length 12.75; extent 26.75; wing 

 8.50. 



608. F. sparve'rius. (Lat. sparwerms, a sparrower. Fig. 378.) RusTy-CROWNEU Falcon. Spar- 

 row Hawk, Smallest of our Falconince ; sexes unlike in color, but of nearly the same size, 



