FALCONID^E — THE FALCONS. 



TAO 



Zobl. II, 17, pi. ii, fig. 2 (jiiv. J), 1844. — Giuaud, B. Long Isl'd, p. 19, 1844. Nisiis 

 fuscus, Kaup, Monog. Fale. Coiit. Orn. 1850, p. 64. Falco dubius, Gmel. Syst. Nat. 

 1789, p. 281. — Lath. liul. Orn. p. 43, 1790 ; Syn. Supp. I, 37, 1802 ; Gen. Hist. I, 

 279, 1821. — Daud. Tr. Orn. 1800, II, 122. Falco velox, Wils. Am. Orn. pi. xlv, f. 1, 

 1808. — Bonap. An. Lye. N. Y. II, 29, 1433 ; Isis, 1832, p. 1137. AccipUer velox, 

 Beech. Voy. Zool. p. 15. Astur velox, Jame.s. (Wils.) Am. Orn. I, 68, 1831. Falco 

 pennsylvanicios, Wils. Am. Orn. pi. xlvi, fig. 1, 1808. — Lath. Gen. Hist. I, 280, 

 1820. — Temm. pi. Col. 67. Accijntcr pcnnsylvanicus, Vig. Zool. Journ. I, 338. — 

 Steph. Zool. XIII, ii, 32, 1815. — Rich. Faun. Bor.- Am. II, 44, 1831. — Jaei>. 

 (Wils.) Am. Orn. II, pp. 210, 215, 1832. — Swains. Classif. B. II, 215, 1837. Astur 

 pcnnsylvanicus. Less. Man. Orn. I, 92. — James. (Wils.) Am. Orn. I, 70, 1831. Nisus 

 2)cnnsylvanicus, Cuv. Reg. An. (ed. 2), I, 334, 1829. — Less. Tr. Orn. p. 59, 1831. 

 Falco columbarius, var., Shaw. Zool. Vll, 189, 1809. AccipUer ardosiacus, Vieill. 

 Enc. Meth. Ill, 1274, 1823. Accipiter fringilloides (not of Vigors!), Jard. (Wils.) 

 Am. Orn. II, 215, 1832. ? Nisus paciftcus, Le.s.son, Man. et d'Oiseaux, 1847, 177 

 (Acapuico to California. Sq^uare tail). Acciinter fuscus. Brewer, Oology, 1857, 18, 

 pi. iii, f. 23, 29 ; pi. v. f. 54. 



Sp. Char. Adult male (11.990, District of Columbia; A. J. Falls). Above deep 

 plumbeous, this covering head above, nape, back, scapulars, wangs, rump, and upper 

 tail-coverts ; uniform throughout, scarcely perceptibly darker anteriorly. Primaries and 

 tail somewhat lighter and more brownish ; the latter crossed by four sharply defined 

 bands of brownish-black, the last of which is subterminal, and broader than the rest, the 

 first concealed by the upper coverts; tip passing very narrowly (or scarcely perceptibly) 

 into whitish terminally. Occipital feathers snowy-white beneath the surface ; entirely 

 concealed, however. Scapulars, also, with concealed very large roundish spots of pure 

 white. Under side of primaries pale slate, becoming white toward bases, crossed by 

 quadrate spots of blackish, of which there are seven (besides the terminal dark space) on the 

 longest. Lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, chin, throat, and lower parts in general, pure white ; 

 chin, throat, and cheeks with fine, rather sparse, blackish shaft-streaks ; ear-coverts with 

 a pale rufous wash. Jugulum, breast, abdomen, sides, flanks, and tibiae with numerous 

 transverse broad bars of delicate vinaceous-rufous, the bars medially somewhat trans- 

 versely cordate, and rather narrower than the white bars ; laterally, the pinkish-rufous 

 prevails, the bars being connected broadh' along the shafts ; tibiae with rufous bars much 

 exceeding the white ones in width ; the whole maculate region with the shaft of each 

 feather finely blackish. Anal region scarcely varied; lower tail-coverts immaculate, 

 pure white. Lining of the wing white, with rather sparse cordate, or cuneate, small 

 blackish spots ; axillars barred about equally with pinkish-rufous and white. Wing, 

 6.60; tail, 5.70; tarsus, 1.78; middle toe, 1.20. Fifth quill longest; fourth but httle 

 shorter; third equal to sixth; second slightly shorter than seventh. Tail perfectly 

 square. 



JdM?< /emaZe (19,116, Powder River; Captain W. F. Raynolds, U. S. A.). Scarcely 

 diflcrent from the male. Above rather paler slaty ; the darker shaft-streaks rather more 

 distinct than in the male, although they are not conspicuous. Beneath with the rufous 

 liars rather broader, the dark shaft-streaks less distinct; tibi» about equally barred with 

 pinkish-rufous and white. Wing, 7.70 ; tail, 6.90 ; tarsus, 2.10; middle toe, 1.40. Fourth 

 and fifth quills equal and longest; third equal to sixth; second equal to seventh ; first 

 three inches shorter than longest. 



Young male (41,890, Philadelphia ; -L Krider.) Above umber-brow^n ; feathers of the 

 head above edged laterally with dull light ferruginous; those of the back, rump, the upper 

 tail-coverts, scapulars, and wing-coverts bordered with the same ; scapulars and rump 

 showing large, partially exposed, roundish spots of pure white. Tail as in adult. Sides 

 of the head and neck strongly streaked, a broad lighter supraoral stripe apparent. 



VOL. III. 29 



