FAMILY FALCONIDAE 273 



Ersch u. Gruber, Allg. Encycl. Wiss. Kiinste, vol. 15, 1826, p. 159). 

 Amadon (Auk, 1954, pp. 203-204) has cited a personal communica- 

 tion from Stresemann who "would prefer to declare the drawing as 

 unidentifiable" in order to avoid this change. But examination of the 

 figure reproduced by Schneider shows definitely that it is a harrier. 

 While the drawing, like most of its day, is crude, the evident ruff 

 on the side of the small head clearly indicates a harrier, and the 

 barring on the under tail coverts is characteristic of Circus buffoni. 

 This species ranges widely in northern and eastern South America 

 from Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad to central Chile, Argentina, 

 and much of Brazil. Specimens are recorded from Para and from 

 Espiritu Santo to the north and south of the area where Marcgrave 

 traveled, a point that Stresemann seems to have overlooked in his 

 comment that no harrier had been recorded from the region con- 

 cerned. There seems to be no reason to reject the identification. 



CARACARA PLANCUS AUDUBONII (Cassin) 



Polyborus Audiibonii Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 17, no. 1, 

 Jan.-Mar. (Aug. 7) 1865, p. 2. (Florida.) 



Characters. — Dark markings browner; back, wings, breast, sides, 

 and tibia, brown to dark fuscous. 



Measurements. — Males (4 from Mexico and western Panama), 

 wing 355-403 (388), tail 201-233 (216), culmen from cere 31.5-32.6 

 (32.1), tarsus 86.4-94.1 (91.0) mm. 



Females (6 from Mexico and western Panama), wing 374-401 

 (387), tail 201-228 (215), culmen from cere 31.0-33.3 (32.3), tarsus 

 88.2-95.6 (91.4) mm. 



Resident. Pacific slope, in the tropical lowlands, from western 

 Chiriqui (Alanje, Bugaba) east to near the western boundary of the 

 Canal Zone ; Isla Taboga. 



In the range outlined caracaras appear to be most common on the 

 drier, eastern side of the Azuero Peninsula, where they range to the 

 southern end near Punta Mala. The record for Taboga, of one seen 

 on a high grass-grown ridge, may have been a straggler from the 

 mainland. 



CARACARA PLANCUS CHERIWAY (Jacquin) 



Falco cherizuay Jacquin, Beytr. Gesch. Vogel, 1784, p. 17, pi. 4. (Aruba, Nether- 

 lands Antilles). 



Characters. — Dark markings blacker ; back, wings, breast, sides, 

 and tibia fuscous-black to black. 



