246 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Asturina nitida, vai. plagiata (Schleg.). 



MEXICAN HAWK. 



Asturina nitida, Cass. Birds N. Am. 1858, 35. — Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, 217. — Salv. 

 Ibis, 1861, 68. — Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, pp. 201, 227 ; 1859, pp. 368, 389 ; 1864, 178. — 

 Lawii. Ann. N. Y. Lye. IX, 133. — Owen, Ibis, III, 1868 (egg white). Asturina 

 cincrxa, Cass. P. A. N. S. 1855, 283 (not of Vikii-l. !). Asturina plagiata, Schlec. 

 Mus. Pays-Bas. Asturince, p. 1.— Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, 173; 1869, 130.— 

 Gray, Hand List, I, 30, 1869. — Eidgw. Am. Nat. VI, July, 1872, 430; VII, April, 

 1873, 203 ; (Southern Illinois, August). 



Sp. Char. Adult male (51,343, Mazatlan, Mexico; Ferd. Bischoff. "Length, 16.00; 

 extent, 38.00 "). Above deep, rather dark cinereous, becoming paler and finer on the head 

 above, wrhere the feathers have the shafts (iinely) black ; wings with obsolete lighter 

 bars; rump almost black. Upper tail-coverts immaculate pure white. Tail pure black, 

 tipped with pale grayish-brown (this passing terminally into white) ; about 1-i- inches 

 from the tip is a continuous band of w'hite, half an inch in wadth ; and a little over an 

 inch anterior to this is another narrower and less perfect one. Primaries approaching 

 black at ends ; the tips broadl)^ edged with dull white, as also the ends of secondaries. 

 Head uniform fine delicate ashy, becoming white on chin and throat, and approaching the 

 same on the forehead ; shafts of feathers on head above, and neck, black ; neck with obso- 

 lete paler transverse bars, these most distinct on jugulum ; the breast, abdomen, sides, 

 flanks, axillars, and tibiae are regularly barred transversely with cinereous and pure white, 

 the bars of each about equal, the white, however, gradually inci-easing, and the ashy bars 

 narrowing posteriorly, the tibiie being finely barred ; lower tail-coverts immaculate pure 

 white. Lining of the wing white, with very sparse, faint, transverse zigzag bars next the 

 axillars and on larger coverts ; under surface of primaries white anterior to their emargi- 

 nation, beyond which they are more silvery, leaving about an inch of the terminal portion 

 black, the end of each, however, ashy ; outer two quills crossed by narrow bars of ashy, 

 the rest with indications of the same, near the shaft. Fourth quill longest ; third scarcely 

 shorter; second shorter than fifth ; first intermediate between eighth and ninth. Wing, 

 10.50; tail, 7.00; tarsus, 2.60; middle toe, 1.50. 



Adult female (34,002, Mazatlan, June ; Colonel (xrayson). Cinereous above darker, the 

 fascine of the wings hardly observable ; front and throat scarcely whitish ; rump almost 

 pure black; second tail-band much broken and restricted. Ashy prevailing on the jugu- 

 lum ; ashy bars beneath rather broader. Wings, 11.00; tail, 7.50; tarsus, 2.80; middle 

 toe, 1.70. 



Young male (35,060, Rio de Coahuyana, W. Mexico, October; J. Xantus). Above, 

 from bill to upper tail-coverts, dark bistre-brown, almost black; feathers of the head and 

 neck edged laterally with pinkish-ochraceous, or sulphuret of manganese color; scapu- 

 lars with nearly whole outer webs of this color, they being blackish only along edges 

 and at ends ; middle wing-coverts spotted with the same. Secondaries and primaries 

 faintly tipped with whitish ; secondaries with indications of darker bands, and outer webs 

 of primaries with still more obscure ones ; upper tail-coverts white, with sagittate specks 

 of black, one or two on each. Tail umber-brown (considerably lighter than the wings), 

 tipped with pinkish-ash (this passing terminally into dull white), and crossed Avith six or 

 seven bands of black (these becoming gradually, but very considerably, narrower toward 

 the base). Beneath white, with vinaceous tinge (this deepest laterally) ; breast, abdomen, 

 and sides with large tear-shaped or cuneate spots of black ; tibiae with numerous trans- 

 verse bars of the same. 



Young female. Similar to last, but the brown lighter, and more approaching umber. 



