250 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



distinct grayish, buff)-, or ochraceous spots, and general color 

 of plumage darlcer. 

 e'. Inner webs of quills distinctly barred or transversely spotted 

 with whitish; tail-bands distinct, in both sexes, at all stages. 

 Adult female and young with whitish or buffj' i)revailing on 

 lower parts. JLile : Length about 10.00-11.00, wing 7.40- 

 7.80 (7.65), tail 4.65-5.20 (4.87), culmen .48-.50, tarsus 1.30- 

 1.40, middle toe 1.15-1.25. Female: Length about 12.50- 

 13.25, wing 8.35-8.60 (8.50), tail 5.30-5.50 (5.38), culmen 

 .55-.60, tai'sus 1.55-1.60, middle toe 1.35. Nest very va- 

 riously situated (in cavity of cliff or in hollow of tree, 

 on branches of trees, etc.). Fggs 2-4, 1.59 X 1-24, usually 

 more or less spotted or blotched with deep rustj' brown, 

 hazel-brown, or cinnamon, on a paler (sometimes buffy 

 whitish) ground-color. Hal). TVhole of North America, 

 breeding chiefly north of L^nited States ; south, in win- 

 ter, to West Indies, Middle America, and northern South 



America 357. F. columbarius Lin.n. Pigeon Hawk. 



e'. Inner webs of quills not distinctlj- barred or spotted, and tail- 

 bands, except whitish tip, indistinct, or obsolete. Adult 

 female and yovng : Above plain blackish brown; lower parts 

 very heavily marked with dusky. (Adult male itnknoum.) 

 Male: "Wing 7.35-7.70, tail 5.25-5.60, culmen .48-.50, tarsus 

 1.30-1.45, middle toe 1.20. Female : Wing 8.25-8.50, tail 

 5.70-5.80, culmen .55-.60, tarsus 1.50-1.60, middle toe 1.35- 

 1.40. JIab. Northwest coast, from northern California (in 

 ■winter) to Sitka. 



357(7. F. columbarius suckleyi FaiKiW. Black Merlin, 

 d'. Middle tail-feathers crossed by (altogether) five darker and six 

 lighter bands; outer w.ebs of quills distinctly spotted with light 

 grayish in adult male, and buffy or ochraceous in adult female 

 and young, and general plumage paler. Adult male: Above 

 pale bluish gray (top of head usuallj' more or less tinged with 

 light rustj- or ochraceous); tail crossed, on middle feathers, by 

 five blackish and six light bluish graj- (or five bluish graj- and 

 one white — terminal) bands, the lighter ones often clouded or 

 mixed with white; outer webs of quills distinctly spotted with 

 light grayish ; wing 7.70-8.05 (7.04), tail 4.90-5.30 (5.11), culmen 

 .50-.60, tarsus 1.42-1.55, middle too 1.20-1.30. Adult female: 

 Above rather light earthy brown, more or less distinctly barred 

 or transversely spotted with a lighter shade ; tail crossed, on 

 middle feather, by six ver}' distinct and entirely continuous 

 narrow bands of buffy whitish; secondaries distinctly banded 

 with ochraceous, and outer webs of quills distinctly spotted 

 with a lighter tint of the same; length about 12.00-13.50, wing 



