46 Capt. Blakiston on the Birds of the 



remarks that its identity with the European bird is most perfect 

 in specimens from western North America. I have, however, 

 only recorded it in italics, because Mr. Jolin H. Gurney (whom 

 no one in this country can equal as a referee on raptorial birds) 

 considers that A. lagopus does not range to America; the 

 patches of colouring on American birds being invariably larger, 

 and the lightest individuals darker than the darkest European 

 examples. He leans to the opinion that the American bird is 

 the young of A. sancti-johannis, next to be noted. 



9. Archibuteo sancti-johannis. 



In my first paper a specimen and eggs are mentioned from 

 the western plains ('Ibis,^ vol. iii. p. 318), where the Black 

 Hawk is not an uncommon bird. I find also that Mr. Andrew 

 Murray, in his paper entitled " Contributions to the Natural 

 History of the Hudson's Bay Company's Territories," in the 

 'Edin. New Phil. Journ.' for April 1859, has also recorded 

 specimens from Hudson's Bay and the country lying between 

 its western shore and Lake Winipeg. Mr. Ross gives it on the 

 Mackenzie as rare, which is the most western locality assigned 

 to the species. The supposed A. lagopus has, however, been 

 obtained in California and Washington Territory, but those 

 localities, although on the Pacific side of the Rocky Mountain 

 range, are not further west in longitude than Mackenzie River ; 

 still it is curious that Professor Baird has received no specimens 

 of A. sancti-johannis, if it is the adult of the other, from the Pa- 

 cific States. 



10. Archibuteo ferrugineus. (See 'Ibis,' vol. iii. p. 318.) 

 Although my observations on the American Falconidce have 



been but few, I am obliged a second time to call in question the 

 veracity of the 1st Part of Dr. Brewer's ' Oology.' I refer to the 

 case of the " California Squirrel-Hawk," or " Western Rough- 

 legged Buzzard," the supposed egg of which he has figured from 

 a specimen said to have been obtained by Dr. Heermann in 

 California. There has evidently been some mistake about it ; 

 for, as stated in my first paper (' Ibis/ No. 12), I took two nests 

 of this bird on the Saskatchawan prairies, from one of which 1 

 shot a female bird, now in the collection of the Royal Artillery 



