28 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP Ai^D SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



BUTEO LINEATUS, Gmelin. * 



The Red Shouldered Hank; The Winter Falcon. 



Fake lineatus and hyemalis, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 268, 274, (1788.) 

 Fatco huteoides, Nutt. Man. I, 100, (1st edition, 1832.) 



Figures.— Vieill. Ois. d'Am. Sept., pi. 5 ; Wilson Am. Orn., pi. 53, fig. 3 ; Aud. B. of Am., pi. 56, 71 ; Oct. ed. I, pi. 9 ; 

 Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 6, fig. 13. 



Jiduli. — Wing coverts from its fle.\ure to the body fine briglit rufous ; breast and other lower parts of the body paler orange 

 rufous, many feathers, with transverse bars and spots of white, which predominate on the abdomen and under tail coverts. 

 Entire upper parts brown ; on the head mixed with rufous, and with white spots on the wing coverts and shorter quills and 

 rump. Quills brownish black, with white spots on their outer webs, and with bars of a lighter shade of brown and of white on 

 their inner webs ; tail brownish black, with about five transverse bands of white and tipped with white. 



Young. — Entire under parts yellowish white, with longitudinal stripes and oblong spots of dark brown ; throat dark brown. 

 Upper parts lighter ashy brown, with many partially concealed spots and bars of white ; quills dark brown, with wide transverse 

 bars of rufous and white on both webs. Tail ashy brown, with numerous bands pale brownish and rufous white ; tail beneath 

 silvery white. 



Total length, female, 21 to 23 inches, wing 14, tail 9 inches. Male, 18 to 20 inches, wing 12, tail 8 inches. 



Hab. Eastern and northern North America. 



This is one of the most ahundant of the rapacious hirds of the eastern and southern States on 

 the Atlantic, and appears to be restricted to the countries east of the Rocky mountains. It 

 presents considerable variation in plumage, the young, as described above, bearing very little 

 resemblance to the adult. The latter is much the more frequently met with, and is Falco 

 hyemalis of authors. 



In western North America this bird is replaced by the succeeding species, from which it can 

 be easily recognized in the adult by the diflferent shade of color of the under parts, and by the 

 different markings of the young. 



List of specimens. 



BUTEO ELEGANS, Cassin. 



Buteo tkgans, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada. VII, 281, (1855.) 



Generally resembling Buteo linealus Bill rather slender ; edges of the upper mandible with a rounded lobe ; wing moderate, 

 fourth quill longest, first quill short ; tail moderate wide, rounded at tip. Tarsus feathered in front slightly below the joint ; 

 naked behind ; in front presenting about twelve transverse scales. 



JIdult female . — Resembling the adult of Buleo linealus, but with the breast dark rufous unspotted, (nearly brick red,) and 

 other under parts, including the under tail coverts, of the same color, with numerous nearly regular transverse bars of reddish 



