148 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



bird ; it should then be considered as rather a geographical race, co-equal to 

 the Falco gyrfcdco, var. Icibradora, F. peregrinus, var. j)calei, and other forms, 

 and not confounded with the individual condition of melanism, as seen in 

 certain species of Buteones. 



Second quill longest ; first quill equal to, a little shorter than, or a little longer than, 

 the fourth. 



Var. ricliardsoiii, Ridgway. 



RICHARDSON'S MERLIN. 



Falco cesalon, Rich. & Swains. F. B. A. II, pi. xxv, 1831. — Nutt. Man. Orn. II, 558. — 

 CouES, P. A. N. S. Pliilad. 1866, p. 42 (in text). Falco {Hypotriorcliis) richardsoni, 

 Ridgway, P. A. N. S. Pliilad. Dec. 1870, 145. Falco richardsoni, CouEs, Key, 1872, 

 p. 214. 



Sp. Char. Adult male like the female and young? The known stages of plumage 

 more like the adult female and young of var. lUhofalco {F. cesalon, Auct.) than like var. 

 coluniharius. 



Adult male (Smithsonian, No. 5,171, mouth of the Vermilion River, near the Missouri, 

 October 25, 1856; Lieutenant Warren, Dr. Hayden). Upper plumage dull earth-brown, 

 each feather grayish-umber centrally, and with a conspicuous black shaft-line. Head 

 above approaching ashy-white anteriorly, the black shaft-streaks being very conspicuous. 

 Secondaries, primary coverts, and primaries margined terminally with dull white; the pri- 

 mary coverts with two ti'ansverse series of pale ochraceous spots ; outer webs of primaries 

 with spots of the same, corresponding with those on the inner webs. Upper tail-coverts 

 tipped, and spotted beneath the surface, with white. Tail clear drab, much lighter than 

 the primaries, but growing darker terminally, having basally a slightly ashy cast; crossed 

 with six sharply defined, perfectly continuous bands (the last terminal) of asliy-white. 

 Head, frontally, laterally, and beneath, — a collar ai'ound the nape (interrupting the brown 

 above), — and the entire lower parts, white, somewhat ochraceous, this most perceptible 

 on the tibiae ; cheeks and ear-coverts \vith sparse, fine hair-like streaks of black ; nuchal 

 collar, jugulum, breast, abdomen, sides, and flanks w^ith a medial linear stripe of clear 

 ochre-brown on each feather; these stripes broadest on the flanks; each stripe with a 

 conspicuously black shaft-streak; tibite and lower tail-coverts with fine shaft-streaks of 

 brown, like the broader stripes of the other portions. Chin and throat, only, immaculate. 

 Lining of the wing spotted with ochraceous-white and brown, in about equal amount, 

 the former in spots approaching the shaft. Inner webs of primaries with ti'ansverse broad 

 bars of pale ochraceous, — eight on the longest. Wing-formula, 2, 3 -4, 1. Wing, 7.70 ; 

 tail, 5.00; culmen, .50 ; tarsus, 1.30; middle toe, 1.25 ; outer, .85 ; inner, .70; posterior, .50. 



^cfuZ^/emttie (58,983, Berthoud's Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado Territor}' ; Dr. F. 

 Y. Hayden, James Stevenson). Differing in coloration from the male only in the points 

 of detail. (Tround-C(^lor of tiie upper parts clear grayish-drab, the feathers with con- 

 spicuously black shafts; all the feathers with pairs of rather indistinct rounded ochraceous 



