BIRDS FALCONINAE — FALCO FEMORALIS. 



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This handsome little hawk was noticed by Lieutenant Couch in the State of New Leon, 

 Mexico, on the Kio Grande, and undoubtedly is properly to be regarded as a bird of Texas. 

 It is well known as a South American species, and is diffused over a vast extent of the continent 

 of America, having very probably for the most northerly limit of its range the State just 

 mentioned. 



The specimen brought by Lieutenant Couch is in quite mature plumage, and is now in the 

 National Museum. 



List of specimens. 



FALCO FEMORALIS, Temminck. 



Fako femoralis, Tbhm, PI. col. 1. (liv. 21.) 

 Falco thoracicus, (III.) LaCHT. Verz. p. 62, (1823.) 



larger than the preceding, but somewhat resembling it in color. Head above, and entire upper parts light cinereous ; 

 darker, and with transverse bars of white on the upper tail coverts ; front and line over the eye to the back of the neck 

 white, tinged with orange on the latter ; a wide band under and behind the eye, and another short band running down- 

 wards from the base of the under mandible, dark cinereous. Throat and breast very pale yellowish white ; a wide band 

 across the body, beneath black, with narrow transverse stripes of white ; abdomen, tibi^, and under tail coverts light 

 rufous. Under wing coverts pale yellowish white, spotted with black ; primaries ashy black, with numerous transverse 

 bands of white on their inner webs ; secondaries light cinereous, tipped with white ; two middle feathers of the tail light 

 cinereous, with transverse bands of ashy white ; other feathers of the tail brownish black, tipped with white, and having 

 aboQt eight transverse bands of white. Bill yellow at base, tipped with light bluish horn color ; legs yellow. 



Total length about 15 inches, wing 10 J, tail 7J inches. 



Hab. New Mexico, Mexico, South America. Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington, and Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 



A fine specimen of this species is in the collection made by Dr. A. L. Heermann while 

 attached to the party in charge of Lieutenant J. Gr. Parke. It is in mature plumage, and is 

 strictly identical with South American specimens. 



This bird was obtained in New Mexico. It is a common species of South America. 



