278 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



and greater coverts brownish-black, tinged with rufous, and broadly tipped and crossed, 

 with sharply defined bands of pure white, of which there are on secondaries about six 

 exposed (including the terminal band) ; primai'ies and their coverts deep black (tinged 

 anterior to their emargination with rufous), tipped with pure white, and having spots of 

 white on outer webs. Rump and upper tail-coverts brownish-black, with indistinct trans- 

 verse bands of white, the latter sharply tipped with the same. Tail clear brownish-black 

 sharply tipped with white, and with about five sharply defined bands of the same, about 

 .30 of an inch in Avidth. Under surface of secondaries and primaries white to near the 

 ends, where they are black ; the tips, however, again white ; the white portion crossed 

 by regular transverse bands, those where the white is purest being light rufous, but as 

 the white shades toward the black they Ijecome dusky ; the rufous bars are, however, bor- 

 dered with duskv. Fifth qniU longest; third and fourth longer than sixth; second a little 

 shorter than sixth; first intermediate between ninth and tenth. Wing, 12.50; tail, 8.00; 

 tarsus, 2.90; middle toe, 1.40. 



Young. Predominating color, blackish-brown ; this existing on under parts in large, 

 confluent sagittate spots, which are longitudinal on throat and jugulum, and more trans- 

 verse on sides, abdomen, tibiiE, and lower tail-coverts, the ground-color of lower parts 

 being dull ochraceous. The head and neck, all around, presenting a uniform, streaked 

 appearance, the edges of the feathers being ochraceous, but the black far exceed- 

 in"- this in amount. Interscapulars and scapulars bordered with rusty rufous ; wing- 

 coverts more broadly bordered with ochraceous, and with much concealed dull white 

 spotting; lesser wing-coverts, with a strong wash of rich dark rufous; secondaries tipped 

 with white, and crossed by two or three (exposed) broad bands of dull ashy ; primaries 

 brownish-black, narrowly tipped with white, and with ill-defined restricted spots of the 

 same on outer webs. Rump uniform blackish-brown, feathers faintly bordered with rusty ; 

 u^pe;- tail-coverts tipped and barred with white. Tail brownish-black tipped with white, 

 and crossed with five narrow bands of dull light ashy. Lining of wing dull, dingy ochra- 

 ceous, with numerous transverse bars of brown ; fourth quill longest ; third shorter than 

 fifth; second longer than sixth ; first equal to ninth. Wing (male, 10,.572, Fort Tejon), 

 12.00; tail, 8.40; tarsus, 2.82; middle toe, 1.35. Female (4,520, Santa Clara, Cal.; Dr. 

 Cooper), wing, 13.00; tail, 9.00; tarsus, 2.90; middle toe, 1.52. 



Hab. Pacific, and southern portion of the middle Provinces of the United States ; 

 Mexico. 



Localities quoted: Texas (San Antonio, winter), (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 325) ; Arizona 

 (CouES, P. A. N. S. 1866, 9) ; city of Mexico (Scl. <fe Salv. P. Z. S. 18G9, 364). 



LIST OF SPECIMENS EXAMINED. 



National Museum, 4 ; Philadelphia Academy, 4 ; Cab. G. N. Lawrence, 1 ; R. Ridg- 

 way, 2. Total, 11. 



Measurements. 



Wing, 12.00-13.00; tail, 8.75-9.50; culmen, .78-.90 ; tarsus, 3.00-3.12 ; middle toe, 

 1.40-1.50. 



The young- of the Butco elegans differs most remarkably from that of B. 

 lineatus ; the pattern of coloration appears scarcely the same, for the ochra- 

 ceous on outer webs of primaries, anterior to their emargination, — whicli is 

 a feature distinguishing the immature lineatus from all other Buteos, — is in 

 the present bird almost obliterated by the extension of the dusky. 



Habits. The Eed-shouldered Hawk has an extended distribution, being 

 found more or less abundant from Florida to Nova Scotia, and from the 



