216 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



into whitish; upper tail-coverts tinged with delicate cream-color (immaculate). Tail 

 with four very broad bands of black, the intervening spaces being dark umber on the two 

 middle feathers, on the others fine cinnamon-oclne ; the tip also (broadly) of this color. 

 Ear-coverts uniform rich dark snuff-brown, feathers of a satiny texture; feathers of facial 

 disk the same centrally, edged with fine deep i-uibus. Entire lower parts deep reddish- 

 ochraceous or fulvous-rufous, growing gradually paler posteriorly ; immaculate, with the 

 exception of a few faint longitudinal stripes on the breast and sides. Under side of wing 

 as in the last, but much tinged with rufous. 



Hab. Entire continent of North America, south to Panama ; Cuba, and Bahamas. 



Localities: Oaxaca (Scl. 1859, 390); Orizaba (Sou 1857, 211); Gruateniala, winter 

 (ScL. Ibis, I, 221) ; Cuba (Cab. Journ. II, Ixxxiii ; Gundlach, Repert. 1865, 222, winter) ; 

 City of Mexico (Scl. 1864, 178); E. Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 1805, 328, resident); W. 

 Arizona (CouesJ ; Bahamas (Bryant, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1867, 65) ; Costa Rica (Lawr. IX, 

 134). 



LIST OF SPECIMENS EXAMINED. 



National Museum, 53 ; Museum Comp. Zool., 24 ; Boston Society, 8 ; Philadelphia 

 Academy, 10 ; Cab. of G. N. Lawrence, 5 ; R. Ridgway, 0. Total, 100. 



Habits. The Mar.sh Hawk is one of the most widely distributed birds of 

 North America, breeding from the fur regions around Hudson's Bay to Texas, 

 and from Nova Scotia to Oregon and California. It is abundant every- 

 where, excepting in the southeastern portion of the United States. Sir 

 John Richardson speaks of it as so common on the plains of the Saskatche- 

 wan that seldom less than five or six are in sight at a time (in latitude 55°). 

 Mr. Townsend found it on the plains of the Columbia Eiver and on the 

 prairies bordering on the Missouri. The Vincennes Exploring Expedition 

 obtained specimens in Oregon. Dr. Gambel and Dr. Heermann found it 

 abundant in California. Dr. Suckley's party obtained specimens in Minne- 

 sota ; Captain Beckwith's, in Utah ; Captain Pope, Lieutenant Whipple, and 

 Dr. Henry, in New Mexico ; and Lieutenant Couch, in Tamaulipas, Mexico. 

 Dr. Woodhouse met with it abundantly from the Mississippi River to the 

 Pacific Ocean, throughout the summer, showing conclusively that it breeds 

 in tliose different sections of country. De la Sagra, Lembeye, and Dr. 

 Gundlach, all give it as a bird of Cuba, but not as breeding; there. 



Dall records it as very rare on the Yukon, and an occasional summer visitor 

 only at St. Michael's, where an individual was killed as late as November. 

 Donald Gunn states that it makes its appearance in the fur countries about 

 the opening of the rivers, and departs about the beginning of November. 

 It preys upon small birds and mice, is very slow on the wing, flies very low, 

 and in a manner very different from all other kinds of Hawks. 



In Nova Scotia it is very abundant, and is very destructive of young 



