3^58 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



times hovering in the manner of the common Sparrow Hawk (Tinnunculus 

 sparverius). It appears to be resident throughout a large part of Mexico, 

 and in Central and South America. The other is from the Eio Pecos of 

 Texas, collected by Dr. W. W. Anderson. 



Mr. Darwin, in his Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, mentions obtain- 

 ing one specimen in a small valley on the plains of Patagonia, at Port 

 Desire, in latitude 47° 44' south. M. D'Orbigny supposed latitude 34° to be 

 the extreme southern limit of the species. Lieutenant Gilliss brought speci- 

 mens from Chile. 



Mr. Darwin states that the F. fcmoralis nests in low bushes, this corre- 

 sponding with the observations of Mr. Bishop. He found tlie female sit- 

 ting on her eggs in the beginning of January. According to M. D'Orbigny, 

 it prefers a dry, open country with scattered bushes, which Mr. Darwin con- 

 firms. Mr. Bishop informs me that he met with this Hawk in the greatest 

 abundance upon tliose vast plains of South America known as the Pampas, 

 in which no trees except the ombu are found, and that it there nests exclu- 

 sively on the toj)s of low bushes, hardly more than a foot or two from the 

 ground. The bird was not at all shy, like most Hawks, but was easily 

 approached so nearly as to be readily recognized. 



Mr. Bridges states, in the Proceedings of the London Zoological Society 

 (1843, p. 109), that the JI. fcmoralis is trained in some parts of South Amer- 

 ica for the pursuit of smaller gallinaceous birds, and that it is liighly 

 esteemed by the Chilian falconers. It very soon becomes quite docile, and 

 will even follow its master within a few weeks of its capture. 



I am indebted to Mr. N. H. Bishop for specimens of the eggs of this 

 Hawk obtained by him on the Pampas. The nes contained but two, and 

 was built on the top of a low bush or stunted tree, hardly two feet from the 

 ground. It was constructed, with some pains and elaboration, of withered 

 grasses and dry leaves. 



The eggs measure, one 1.81 inches in length by 1.69 in breadth, the other 

 1.78 by 1.63. This does not materially vary from the measurement given 

 by Darwin. The ground-color of the egg is white. This, however, is so 

 thickly and so generally studded with fine brown markings, that the white 

 ground to the eye has a rusty appearance, and its real hue is hardly distin- 

 guishable. Over the entire surface of the egg is distributed an infinite 

 number of fine dottings, of a color most nearly approaching a raw terra- 

 sienna brown. Over this again are larger blotches, lines, and splashes of a 

 handsome shade of vandyke-brown. In one egg these larger markings are 

 much more frequent than in the other. The latter is chiefly marked with 

 the finer rusty dottings, and has a more dingy appearance. 



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