FALCONIDM — BUTEONIN^: BUZZARDS. 693 



uut legs; 9 rotaiuing marks of immaturity longer than $\ these consisting in extension of 

 black -barred chestnut markings on to belly, flanks, and even more of the under parts, and 

 spreading of fine shaft-lines ou breast into ordinary streaks. Tail silvery-white below, above 

 white at base and extreme tip, iu most of its' extent clouiled with silvery-ash and more or less 

 tinged with fei-ruginous. Back, rump, and wing-coverts mixed blackish and bright chestnut 

 in varying but about equal amounts, the foraier color making central markings on the exposed 

 portion of each feather, the chestnut yielding tt) white at bases of the feathers. Top, back, 

 and sides of head streaked with blackish and white iu about equal amounts, the feathers being 

 cottony-white, with djirk streaks or spaces ou their exposed portions. Primaries blackish, 

 with a glaucous bloom on outer webs, their shafts almost entirely white ; several outer ones 

 with extensive pure white areation on inner webs; inner primaries and secondaries continuing 

 this pattern, but with more or less evident ashy spacing between blackish bars, as usual in 

 buteonine Hawks. Length of ^, 22.50; extent 54.50 ; wing 16.75; tail 9.25; tarsus 2.75; 

 length of 9 , 2-J..50 ; extent 56.50 ; wing 17.25 ; tail 9.75. Iris pale brownish to light yellow; 

 cere and feet bright yellow ; bill dark bluish horn-color, very stt)Ut ; mouth purplish tiesh- 

 color, and very capacious, measuring from corner to corner of the gape about J. 80; this is the 

 chief character of the subgenus Brewsteria (iu the common Rough-leg the same measurement 

 is only about 1.40). Third and 4th quills subequal and longest ; 2d between 5th and 6th ; 1st 

 about equal to 8th ; lst-4th abruinly emarginate on inner webs; 2d-5th sinuate on outer webs. 

 The foregoing is from a fine pair I procured in Arizona in 1864. Young : less rufous above, 

 and almost entirely wliite below, the fiags scarcely variegated or contrasted; upper parts 

 brownish-gray, with rusty or tawny edgings of the feathers ; tail the same in ground color, 

 but whitening toward the base and on the inner webs, and with several infirm dark bands. 

 There is a melanistic or rather erythrisinal pliase, in which tlie bird becomes, except on the tail, 

 chocolate-brown, more or less variegated with rusty-brown. In perfect plumage this is one 

 of tlie largest, handsomest, and most distinctively marked Hawks of North America, somewhat 

 recalling Biiteo albocaudatns ; common in the West, from the region of the Red River of the 

 North and of the Saskatchewan to Texas and into Mexico, and from the Plains to the Pacific; 

 sometimes even E. of the Mississippi, as in Illinois : resident as a species iu most of its range, 

 and breeding, but migratory to some extent. Nesting and habits nowise peculiar, as com- 

 pared with those of other large Ilawlcs ; nest in trees, or on ledges and cut-banks, composed of 

 sticks, with matted linhig of various softer materials, and sometimes acquiring immense size, 

 like those of the Osprey; eggs 2-5, oftener 3 or 4, averaging 2.55 X 1.95, thus larger than 

 those of the other species, but indistinguishable and equally variable in markings ; they are 

 mostly laid from the middle of April to that of May. 



ASTURl'NA. (Modified from Lat. astiir, a hawk.) Star Btzzauds. General characters 

 of Biiteu, in ])n)portions, l)Ut system of coloration as iu Astitr : sexes alike; adults ashy, with 

 black, white-barred tail; under parts closely barred crosswise witli ashy and white; young 

 diii'erent, under parts marked lengthwise with blackish on a whitish ground. Wings short for 

 this subfamily; 3d, 4th, and 5th quills longest, 1st very short; outer 4 emarginate ou inner 

 webs; 2d-5th cut on outer webs. Tail even, long, about f the wing. Legs longer than usual 

 iu Bntconince, more nearly as in Accipitrincc ; feet stout; tarsus scutellate before and half-way 

 np behind, shortly feathered above in front, elsewhere strongly reticulate. A small group of 

 handsome under-sized Hawks, peculiar to America. 



A. pliiKisi'ta. (Lat plagata, striped.) GuAV Stau l?fz/.AKD. Mexican Gosiiawk. 

 Adult (J 9 • Upi)er j)arts nearly uniform cinereous, or light jjlumbeous, tiie feathers dark-shafted, 

 and with nearly obsolete undulations of lighter ash; upjier tail-coverts in part white. Tail 

 black, with .several white zones, sonu'tiuu'S broken, and white or whitish tip. Under parts, in- 

 I'luding tibia', white, beautifully and clo.sely cross-barred with dark ash, except upon throat and 

 crissum; some of the feathers al.-n dark-shafted. Lining of wings white, less closely barred 



