FALCONIDiE. — MORPHNUS UNICINCTUS. 61 



the mouth of the Kio Grande. It is also frequently met with throughout Mexico, 

 Central America, Peru, and Chile. It is an occasional visitant of Cuba and Ja- 

 maica. 



In its habits this Hawk is heavy and sluggish. It frequents streams of water, 

 and its food consists chiefly of the reptiles and smaller animals which fi-equent the 

 banks of rivers and creeks. They build their nests on low trees, in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity of their hunting-ground, and often over the water, constructing them 

 of coarse flags and water plants. The nests are usually not very large for the birds, 

 are flattened or Avith very slight depressions, and the materials are very loosely 

 put together. The eggs are from three to five in number, usually white and un- 

 spotted, occasionally with more or less of a yellowish or tawny tinge. In some 

 instances they are faintly marked Avith light dashes or stains of a yellowish-broAvn, 

 and, more rarely, are also marked with small blotches of sepia-brown, and with 

 smaller dottings of purplish-drab. Their average measurement is, length 2j-\, 

 breadth 1{J. 



All the knowledge at present possessed in regard to the eggs of these Hawks is 

 derived from the collection of the late Dr. Beiiandier, of Metamoras, in the Prov- 

 ince of Tamaulipas, Mexico. In the cabinet of that gentleman were several varie- 

 ties, now in the possession of the Smithsonian Institution. These are shown, by 

 the notes and private memoranda of Dr. Berlandier, Avho was a diligent observer of 

 birds, to belong to this Hawk. For the preservation of this collection, the public 

 is indebted to the timely intervention of Lieutenant Couch, by whom they were 

 purchased, and through whose offices they were secured for the purposes of science. 



