142 ZOOLOGY. 



Family FALCONIDAE. The Falcons. 



Sub-Family FALCONINAE. True Falcons. 



FALCO NIGRICEPS, Cassin. 



The Western Duck Hawk. 



Falco nigriceps, Cassin, Birds of Cal. and Tex. I, p. 87, (1853 ) — Is. in Gilliss's XJ. S. Astron. Exped. II, (18'>5,) 

 pi. xiv. — Baird & Cassin, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 8. 

 gp. Ch- — Above bluish cinereous, narrowly banded with black ; below reddish, with circular spots, and bands of black on sides. 

 Crown and cheeks nearly black. Female: length 15 to 17J inches; wing, 11 to 12; tail, 6 to 6J. 

 Younger: above dark brown; tail barred with rufous on inner webs; beneath reddish yellow, with broad stripes of black 

 Adult: resembling the common duck hawk of the eastern coast, (F. ana'um,) but smaller, and with the bill disproportionately 

 weaker. Head and neck above black, and a large black space on cheeks 



Specimen No. 8501, original No. 63. Dimensions when fresh: Length, 17.25; extent, 39.50. ris haze bill whitish blue, feet 

 yellow. Plate xi (birds) represents this specimen. 



Of the western duck hawk I have seen only two pairs, which, in March, 1854, frequented a 

 high wooded cliff at Shoalwater bay. Often as I passed underneath they would fly round over 

 my head, and I succeeded in shooting two of them, which were marked exactly alike. The 

 other two, from their larger size, I supposed were females, and they soon after left the 

 neighborhood. I supposed from their keeping about the same spot that they intended to build 

 there. — C. 



In the summer of 1856 Mr. George Gibbs, of Steilacoom, W. T., presented me with a 

 specimen of this bird, killed near his farm. This was forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution 

 museum. I know nothing respecting its habits. — S. 



EALCO COLUMBARIUS, Linnaeus. 



The Pigeon Hawk. 



Falco columbarius, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 128, (1776.)— Wilson, Am. Orn. II, pi. xv, fig. 3. — Baird & Cassin, Gen. 



Rep. Birds, p. fl. 

 Falco columbarius and termerarius, AuD.jB. of An. pi. ixxii and xcii; oct. ed. I, pi. xxi. 

 Hypotriorchis columbarius, Newberry, P. R. R. Rep. Vol. VI, p. 74, (Birds.) 



gp. Ch Small and stout in form; above bluish slate color, with black lines; beneath pale yellowish or reddish white, each 



feather with a black stripe. Tail with one wide dark band, and several (about three) narrower bands of black. 



Younger: dusky or light brown; sometimes with ferruginous markings; beneath dull white, with light brown stripes. Tail 

 pale brown, with about six white bands. 



Youno-: brownish black, the white parts dusky, stripes wider, sides with black bands and white spots; quills and tail nearly 

 black, the tail with about four white bands, or unspotted. 



No. 4476, adult emalc. Straits of Fuca, April, 1855. Length, 12.50; extent, 97 inches. 

 No. 4475, adu.i male, Santa Clara, Cal., November, 1855. Length, 11.75; extent, 23 50. 

 No. 4477, young male, Shoalwatar bay, August, 1855. Length, 10.25; extent, 22.50. 

 Iris brown, bill bluish black, cere and feet yellow, in all the .specimens. 



The pigeon hawk seems to be rather uncommon in the Territory. I shot one in June, 1853, 

 and did not see another until April, 1855, when they had just arrived at the Straits of De 

 Fuca. I was surprised one day by an unusual screaming of some bird close to the house, and 

 going out I found that one of these hawks had just caught an unfortunate flicker, which 

 probably feared no assault from a bird no larger than itself. Its weight brought the hawk to 

 the ground, where I immediately shot it. On picking it up the- flicker, though unhurt either 



