FALCO SPARVERIDS. HTJ) 



more need be said tlian that it oi-curs rrcnjwlinr, in suitable places; at tlio 

 same time, we may remark that it is by far the most abundant of all the 

 birds of ])roy, althoug-h i<s numbers vary "•rcatly with the locality. At a 

 certain spot along the Carson Ivivor, not far from Carson City, stood, in 

 the spring of 18G8, a ciiimp of five large cotton-wood trees, the only ones for 

 miles around, and each of these trees was inhabited by a pair of these little 

 Falcons, who had nests in the hollows of the limbs. This is well known to 

 be the favorite location for Jheir nests; but where there were no trees to ac- 

 commodate them, we foimd them adapting their nesting-habits to the char- 

 acter of the surroundings. Thus, in the preci|)itous canons of the Ituby 

 Mountains, they built among the crevices of the limestone cliffs, in com- 

 pany with the Prairie Falcon {F. pohjagrus), the Violet-green and Cliff 

 Swallows, and the White-throated Swift ; Avliile in some portions of Utah 

 they took possession of the holes dug by the Kingfishers and Ked-shafted 

 Flickers in the earthy banks of the ravines. Among the cliffs of Echo 

 Canon, along the line of the Union Pacific Railroad, in Utah, Ave noticed 

 these birds in August swarming by hundreds about the brow of the preci- 

 pice, several hundred feet overhead. 



List of xpecimens. 



63, S nd.; Sacraiiu'iito, t'alilbrniii, June 20, 1SC7. 10§— 221—73— 01— ,»,—li— 

 •"i— i- Hill, bluisb-wbite, {jiowiii^r slatc-blaek teiiiiiiially; cere and angle of the mouth, 

 intenac orange-red ; iiis, very dark brown ; tarsi and toes, deep orangeclirooie ; claws, 

 jet black. 



107, (? ad.; Big Bend of tlio Truckee (Garni) 12), Nevada, July 2fi, 1807. 10— 

 22:j— 7A— (;;;— ,'5— ]A.— 5|— ;ji. Uill, jiale blue basally, slate-blat-k "tcruiinally ; cero 

 and bare orbital region, jiale tluU yellow; iris, vaiidyke brown ; tarsi and toes, dull 

 yellow; claws, black. 



lOS, 9 jur. fyoung of preceding) ; Camp 12, July 20, IS(i7. lO;,'- 2.;- 7,'',.- 0,'g — 

 i — 1 — •"»A — •5A- Bill, jMile Jlenlig blue, or lilaceoiis-u-liile ; cere and orbital region, palo 

 dull yellow ; iris dark brown ; tarsi and toes, very pale dull yellow. 



12.-), <? ad.; Carnj) 12, August (>, 1.S07. 10|—22i— 75-05-9^— ] J_53— .'5] < . Basal 

 li.ilf of the bill, pure pale blue, terminal portion slate-blaek; cere and bareorl)ital region, 

 dull yellow ; iris, very deep brown ; tarsi and toes, deep cbronio-.vellow ; claws, black. 



343, 9 ad.; near Fort Cliurcliill, Xevadn, December 0, 1807. 1H_24— Sg— 7— 

 ■/•g — i\ — SJi — 3J. Same remarks. 



41!), "9«(/.; San Francisco, California, January 23, 180S. m— 24J— (f)— TJ," 

 (Presented by Mr. 11. G. Parker.) 



420, '-9 ad.; San Francisco, January 23, 18C8. 11J_2.JJ— (t)— CJ." (II. G. 

 Parker.) 



