THE MEXICAN BLACK HAWK. 249 



Asst. Sui-o-. Edo-ar A. Mearus, U. S. Army, pul)lislie(| the followino- acpount, 

 compriising- ahout all we know as yet alxmt the nesting habits of this species 

 within our borders. He says: "When hunting along a sluice of the Verde 

 River, beneath a dense growth of willows and cottonwoods, I first discovered 

 the Anthracite or Mexican lilack Hawk, perched among the thickest foliage of 

 a low willow overhanging the shallow water. The imperfect view obtained as 

 it flew off through the trees led me at first to suppose that it was an immatm-e 

 Golden Eagle, a species that I liad several times encountered therealxjuts in 

 similar situations. A snap shot proved unsuccessful, as was the case on several 

 subsequent occasions, and, although I frequently saw them along the river, it 

 was long ere I succeeded in procuring a specimen. Always extremelv shv, thev 

 were usually found hidden in the foliage near the water in some low situation, 

 whence, when surprised, they generally managed to escape through the foliage 

 of the cottonwoods without affording a good opportunity for a shot. Their 

 flight is swift and powerful. Occa.sionally one was seen eating a fish upon the 

 s;indy margin of the river. They were present throughout the suuuner, but 

 departed in the autumn, my absence in the field during the months of October 

 and November having prevented me from determining the date of departure. 



"On the •26th of March, 1885, I found one of these Hawks upon the Agua 

 Fria, about 30 miles southwest of Fort Verde, at a considerablv greater alti- 

 tude; and on Oak Creek, a mountain stream 30 miles north of Fort Verde, in 

 the footliills of the San Francisco Mountains, I wounded an immature example 

 on the l"ith of August of the same year, it having probably been reared on 

 that stream, which abounds with trout and other fishes. 



"On the 19th of June, 1885, Capt. T. A. Baldwin and I set out to visit 

 Fossil Creek, 30 miles east of Fort Verde, with an escort of two soldiers. We 

 earned some rations and mining implements packed i;pon a mule and two 

 l)urros. We found the trail to the caiion without difficulty, l)ut when nearlv 

 at the bottom took the wrong fork of the trail, Avhich finally led us to the 

 spring and forks of Fossil Creek, both branches of which we explored for 

 several miles, finding tracks of wolves, bear.«, deer, raccoons, and beavers. A 

 pair of Mexican Black Hawks were found at the forks of the stream close 

 to the place where we had pitched our camp. Their loudly whistled cry 

 is different from that of any Ijird of prey with which I am acquainted, and 

 is difficult to descrilte, although rendered with great power. 



"They circled aliout us a few times, then retreated to some tall pinons 

 upon the hillside, where they continued to cry vehemently until I essaj^ed 

 to force my way through the thick scrub oak towards them, when both liirds 

 flew with loud screams to a tall pine tree down the stream, where I suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining a long shot at the male bird, which, although mortally 

 wounded, flew beyond my reach before di'opping to the gi-ound. His mate 

 flew to the pinons far up the steep banks of the canon, out of reach, ami 

 continued screaming, following me x\\) the canon. Towards nightfall I cauie 



