• FALCONID^ — THE FALCONS. 143 



Adult mah. Tail light ash, tipped with white, and crossed by three or 

 four nearly continuous narrow bands of black (extending over both 

 webs, and crossing the shaft), anterior to the broad subterminal zone, 

 the black of which does not run forward along the edge of the feathers. 

 Inner web of longest primary with seven to nine transverse spots of 

 white. Streaks on the cheeks sparse and fine, not condensed into a 

 " mustache." Pectoral markings broad clear brown. Ochraceous wash 

 weak across the nape and breast, and along sides, and very deep on the 

 tibia;. Adult female. Above plumbeous-umber, without rusty margins 

 to the feathers, and without conspicuous black shaft-streaks. Tail with 

 only five (one concealed) narrow bands of pale ochraceous; outer webs 

 of primaries without ochraceous spots ; inner web of outer primary 

 with eight spots of white. Young. Like the adult female, but darker. 

 Wing, 7.90-8.25; tail, 5.15-5.25; tarsus, 1.00; middle toe, 1.25. 

 Hah. Entire continent of North America ; West Lidies. 



var. c olumharius^ 



b. Adult male not bluish? sexes similar? upper parts with lighter trans- 

 verse spots. 



Adidt. Above light grayish-umber, or earth-brown, with more or less 

 distinct lighter transverse spots : secondaries crossed by three bands of 

 ochraceous spots, and outer webs of inner primaries usually with spots 

 of the same. Tail invariably with six complete and continuous narrow 

 bands of dull white. Beneath white, with broad longitudinal markings 

 of light brown, these finer and hair-like on the tibite and cheeks, 

 where they are sparse and scattered, not forming a " mustache." Top 

 of the head much lighter than the back. Yoiing. Similar, but much 

 tinged with rusty above, all the white portions inclining to pale ochra- 

 ceo'us. Wing, 7.70-9.00; tail, 5.00 -6..30 ; culmen, .50- .60 ; tarsus, 

 1.40-1.65; middle toe, 1.20-1.51. Second and third quills longest ; 

 first equal to fourth, slightly shorter, or sometimes slightly longer, 

 Ilab. Interior plains of North America, between the Mississippi River 

 and the Rocky Mountains, from the Arctic regions to Texas. 



var. (?) ricliardsoni. 



c. Adult male not bluish ? sexes similar ? upper parts without transverse 



spots, and tail without lighter bands, except at the tip. 



Above plain brownish-black ; the tail narrowly tipped with whitish, 

 but without other markings; inner webs of the primaries without 

 lighter spots. Beneath pale ochraceous broadly striped with sooty- 

 black. Wing, 7.35-8.50; tail, 5.25-5.75; culmen, ..50 -.55; tarsus, 

 1.30-1.62; middle toe, 1.25-1.35. Hab. Northwest coast region 

 from Oregon to Sitka • • . xav. suckleyi. 



Falco emerillus, Savigxy, Descr. Egypt, Pt. I, 1809, 100. Falco sibiricus, Shaw, Zool. VII, 

 1812, 207. Falco coisius, Meyek, Tasch. deutsch. Vog. I, 1810. Falco subcesalon, Brehm, 

 Vog. Deutsch. I, 1831, 67. 



Hab. Europe and Western Asia ; Iceland. 



List of Specimens examined. — National Museum, 8 ; Boston Society, 4 ; Cambridge Museum, 

 3 ; New York Museum, 2 ; Philadelphia Academy, 3. Total, 20. 



Measurements. -£ . Wing, 7.60-8.00; tail, 5.10-5.30; culmen, .45 -.50; tarsus, 1.35- 

 1.45; middle toe, 1.15: specimens, 10. 9- Wing, 8.60-9.00; tail, 6.00-6.30; culmen, 

 .52 -.55 ; tarsus, 1.45-1.47 ; middle toe, 1.20-1.25 : specimens, 10. 



