FALCO COMMUNIS. o---^ 



- ( •) 



These handsome birds do not usually hover, like the Sparrow Hawk, when hunting but 

 course rapidly along and pounce upon their victim without giving it an instance's warning 

 of their presence; thus they appear to capture their prey with great certainty. Their cry, 

 when moving, is shrill and loud but diiferent from the well-known rattle of the Sparrow 

 Hawk. 



Although these Hawks usually breed considerably north of Massachusetts, I am con- 

 fident that the eggs will yet be taken in the state, for I once had a female which was shot 

 during the breeding season, early in June, and which exhibited every mark of incubation, 

 while other instances of a similar nature have come to my knowledge. As remarked, 

 however, the Pigeon Hawks occur with us, more abundantly during the autumnal migra- 

 tion than at any other season, although they are tolerably common in spring. 



FALCO COMMUNIS. 



Peregrine Falcon. 



Falco comrmmis Gm., Syst. Nat., I; 1788, 270. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, rohust. Si^e, large. Sternum, stout, rather narrow, with the marginal indentations quite large. 

 Tongue i*: short, thick, quite fleshy, about the same width for nearly its entire length, horny at tip, where it is round- 

 ed, bifid, and grooved beneath. Tail, slightly rounded, with the feathers somewhat acuminate. Wings, with only one 

 outer quill incised. Tarsus, slightly feathered in front. Goeca, present but very small. 



Color. A dull male. Above, including upper wing coverts, secondaries, and upper tail coverts , dark liluish-slate, 

 transversely banded with dark-brown which becomes lighter on the rump. Primaries and tail, dark-brown, the former band- 

 ed on the inner webs with yellowish-white; the latter tipped and banded with ashy-yellow. Under parts, including sides of 

 liead, under wing coverts, under tail covert«, and tibia, yellowish-white, spotted on the breast and abdomen, and trans- 

 versely banded on the remaining portions with black. There is also a black patch on the cheeks. Forehead, white. 



Adult female. Quite similar to the male in general coloration but darker above, and tinted below with buff. In the 

 adult stages, the feet are yellow and the cere, green. 



Y0UIVJ. Much browner above than in the adult female. The under parts are tinged with reddish and longitudinal- 

 ly streaked with dark-brown. The cheek patches are broader and the wing feathers are tipped with yellowish-white. 



Youn(j of the year. Show no traces of ashy above, and the top of the head is overwashed with yellowish-rufous, es- 

 pecially on the forehead and occiput. There is a line of reddish extending over the eye, while every feather above is edged 

 with it. The tail is tipped with white, barred on inner webs with deep rufous and the same color pervades below. The 

 under tail coverts are barred. 



Nestlings. Are at first covered with white down, tlicn gradually assume theplumage last described. In this and the 

 la-st two stages, the cere is dark-green and the feet, blue. Bill, Wack, blue at base, and irLs brown, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Specimens of the same age exhibit the usual amount of variation regarding intensity of color, size of spots, width of 

 bands, etc., but the species may be known at once by the Large size, dark cheek patch, and other colors as described. Dis- 

 tributed, as asummer resident, among the mountains or along rocky sea-boards, throughout Eastern North America, above 

 latitude 38°. Winters in the more Southern portions. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average mea.surements of male specimens from Eastern United States. Length, I7'5<); stretch, 38-50; wing, 14'25; 

 tail, 7-2.5; bill, -'i; tai-sus, 1-72. Longest specimen, 1800; greatest extent of wing, 39-00; longest wing, 14-50; tail, 7-50; 

 bill, lo; tarsus, 1 75. Shortest specimen, 1700; smallest extent of wing, 38-00; shortest wing, 14-1)0; tail, 700; bill, -70; 

 tarsus, r70. 



Average mea'^urements of female specimens from Eastern United States. Length, 19-00; stretch, 41-00; wing, 15-00; 

 tail, 7 75; bill, -78; tarsus, 175. Longest specimen, 2000; greatest extent of wing, 42-00; longest wing, 15-50: tail, 8-(Xl; 

 bill, -80; tarsus, 180. Shortest specimen, 18-00; smallest extent of wing, 40-00; shortest wing, 14-50; uiil, 7-50; liill, -"5 

 tarsus, I 90. 



