FALC ONIDjE — BUTE ONINjE : B UZZA RDS. 



683 



ings —but no description will cover tlie latitude of cidoration. Primaries blackening on ex- 

 posed portions, for the rest lighter grayish-l)ro\vu, dark-barred across botli webs, and extensively 

 white-areated on inner webs basally. $ 19.00-2:2.00; extent about 48.00; wing 13.50-16.50 ; 

 tail 8.50-10.00 ; tarsus 2.50-3.00, feathered half-way down in front. 9 larger, 21.00-24.00; 

 extent about 56.00 ; wing 14.50-17.50 ; tail 9.50-10.00. $ 9 , young : General character of 

 upper parts same as in adult, but less variegated, and that chiefly with whitish and buff, in- 

 stead of grayish and fulvous ; upper tail-coverts more regularly barred with dark and white. 

 Tail entirely different, without any shade of red; light gray, with numerous (6-10) regular 

 dark bars, and narrow white tips ; the gray gradually yields to the chestnut shade with reduc- 

 tion, interruption, or extinction of all these bars except last one. Under parts somewhat as in 

 adult, but, like the upper, without fulvous or rufous shades; usually white, unmarked in a 

 large pectoral area, with circlet of throat stripes, and pronounced abdominal zone of dark or 

 blackish markings; tibia? spotted or not; crissum immaculate. There should be no difficulty 

 in recognizing tliis Hawk among those of the eastern U. S. and British Provinces in any 



Fig. 4('i7. — Red-tailed Buzzard, nat. size. (Ad. nat. del. E. C.) 



plumage ; the red tail of the adult is of course distinctive ; a weakly young ^ might raise a 

 doubt with reference to lineatus (which also has 4 primaries cut) ; iu that case, notice stout tarsi, 

 feathered about ^ <lowu ; decided wiiite pectoral area, free from spots, circumscribed by dark 

 markings, especially those of the abdominal zone ; and absence of any reddishuess on upper 

 jiarts or wing-coverts. Such is the ordinary "Hen Hawk" so abundant iu eivstern North 

 America, where it is subject to comp(ir(ttirchj little variation. In the West, however, where it 

 is e<iually numerous, it sports almost interminably in color, not always coufornuibly with geo- 

 graphical distribution. Several of these phases have received special naimcs, as given beyond. 

 The tendency is to melanism and erythrism, the extreme case of which '\^ cdUirus of C'assin. 

 A pure borealis, exactly matching the normal eastern type, is seldom seen in the West. Hut 

 in all its color- variation, the bird preserves its s})ecific characters of size and robust ])roportions, 

 being thus reatiily distinguishable from the smaller and weaker species, swdiiisotii, iu any of 

 the endless and soiiiewiiat paralhd variaticuis of tlie latter (which, moreover, has only 3 jirima- 

 ries cut). Tiie Hed-tail as a species is resident and lireeds tliroiii^'hoiit its rauu'e, hut there is 

 much luiirr.itinu of individuals to and tVoiii its extremes. The nest is usualiv I'uilt hit:l» in ;i 



