294 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



determined. Wing 15.75; tail, 9.10; culmen, 1.00; tarsus, 2.90; middle toe, 1.60; outer, 

 1.15; inner, 1.15. 



Young (Phil. Acad. Coll. ; San Antonio, Texas, 1860 ; Dr. A. L. Heermann). Like the 

 preceding, but basal white rather more exposed, and somewhat fulvous on the breast ; the 

 sides, axillars, lining of the wing, and lower tail-coverts have very obsolete transverse 

 spots of the same. Under surface of primaries unvariegated silvery Avhite anterior to 

 their emargination, beyond which they are more hoary, along the edge black, this portion 

 with about five transverse spots of black. Tail grayish ashy-brown to the tip, crossed 

 with about nine very sharply defined bands of black, of equal width with the gray ones. 

 Lores grayish- white. Wing-formula, 4, 3, 5-2-6-7-8 = 1. Wing, 14.25 ; tail, 1 0.00 ; 

 tarsus, 3.25 ; middle toe, 1.70. 



Hab. Southern Mississippi Valley, from Louisiana (Aud.) and Texas (Mus. S. I.) ; 

 north to Eastern Kansas (Coll. Kansas Univ.). 



Localities quoted: Guatemala (Sclater, Ibis I, 216 (?)) ; Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 

 1866, 43). 



There is not a doubt in my mind as to the propriety of separating this 

 bird from any close relationship to the B. horealis, nor of the correctness of 

 considering it the B. harlani of Audubon. It only can be referred to Audu- 

 bon's plate and description, both of which agree perfectly with the younger 

 plumage described. 



The specimens Mr. Cassin describes as the " adult " B. harlani are really 

 such ; but those which he describes as the " young " are the young of the 

 Western Eed-tail {B. borealis var. calurus). The California specimens to 

 which Mr. Cassin refers, as identified by Mr. Lawrence as B. harlani, are in 

 reality the melanistic condition of B. swainsoni, or the "insignatus" of Cassin. 

 The present bird appears to be restricted to Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, 

 and adjacent portions, north to Kansas, and probably Eastern Mexico. 



Habits. This Hawk was first described by Audubon from a pair obtained 

 by him near St. Francisville, Louisiana. They had bred in that neighbor- 

 hood for two seasons, were shy and difficult of approach, and for a long 

 while eluded his pursuit. The female was shot while sailing over his head, 

 and wounded in the wing. He endeavored to preserve it alive and to carry 

 it as a present to the Zoological Society, but it refused all food and died in 

 a few days. This specimen is now in the British Museum. The male bird 

 was also obtained a few days later, and this too was brought to him yet alive 

 but also wounded. It was even more fierce and wilder than the female, 

 would erect the feathers on its head, open its bill, and prepare to strike with 

 its talons when any object was brought near to it. 



This species, though smaller than the Eed-tail, to which he regarded it as 

 allied, Audubon thought greatly superior to it in flight and daring. Its flight 

 is described as rapid, greatly protracted, and so powerful as to enable it to 

 seize the prey with apparent ease, or effect its escape from its stronger 

 antagonist, the Eed-tail, which pursued it on all occasions. It had been seen 

 to pounce upon a fowl, kill it almost instantly, and afterw^ards drag it along 

 the ground several hundred yards. It was not seen to prey on hares or 

 squirrels, but seemed to evince a marked preference for poultry, partridges. 



