FALCONIDiE — THE FALCONS. 



251 



into the southern United States ; Mississippi (Audubon) ; Texas (Mus. S. I. ; Dresser) ; 

 Arizona (Coues). 



LocaUties : Guatemala (Scl. Ibis, I, 21G). 



LIST OF specimens EXAMINED. 



National Museum, 13 ; Pliiladelphia Academy, 3 ; Cab. G. N. Lawrence, 2 ; Coll. R. 

 Ridgway, L Total, 19. 



Habits. This Hawk has a very limited range within the United States, 

 and Mr. Audubon, who was the first to meet with it there, obtained only a 

 single specimen from Louisiana. 

 Supposing it to be an undescribed 

 species, he named it in honor of 

 his friend, Mr. Edward Harris. 



This species is occasionally 

 found in the lower portions of 

 the States of IVIississippi and 

 Louisiana, but becomes much 

 more abundant in the southwest- 

 ern sections of the latter State, 

 and in Texas is common, espe- 

 cially about the mouth of the 

 Eio Grande. In one variety or 

 the other it is frequently met 

 with throughout Mexico, and 

 Central America, and is also said 

 to be an occasional visitant of 

 Cuba and Jamaica. 



Mr. Dresser found this Hawk 

 common throughout Texas to the Colorado Eiver, beyond which he noticed 

 but few. It was the only Haw^k he noticed at Matamoras in the summer. 

 He describes it as a heavy, sluggish bird, seldom seen on the wing, and sub- 

 sisting, so far as he could see, entirely on carrion. All along the road from 

 Brownsville to San Antonio, he noticed it either perched on some tree by 

 the roadside, or busy, in company with Vultures and Caracaras, regaling on 

 some ofiensive carrion. He found it breeding in the neighborhood of San 

 Antonio, Medina, and Altascosa Eivers, having eggs in the month of May. 

 A nest found on the 4th of May, near the Medina Eiver, was built of sticks, 

 very slightly lined, and was placed in a low hackberry-tree. The eggs were 

 four in number, and described as white, with a faint bluish tinge, very spar- 

 ingly spotted and blotched with red. 



Parabuteo harrisi. 



