112 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



so delighted that they gave the collectors several chickens. The red- 

 tail was seen also at Cerca-la-Source March 18 to 24. 



The traveler from other climes who is accustomed to scan the sky 

 for large birds welcomes with keen delight the stately form of the 

 red-tail as it soars over the barren mountain slopes, cultivated fields, 

 pinelands or swamps of Hispaniola. The birds float high in air 

 calling occasionally with high pitched screams whose wild cadences 

 seem fitting and appropriate to the scenes that they survey. Red- 

 tails are gregarious to the extent that sometimes half a dozen may be 

 in the field of vision at one time though usually single individuals 

 are seen. 



For food they have available the introduced rats and mice, birds, 

 lizards, snakes, frogs and possibly large insects. Wetmore ob- 

 served one in flight with a rat dangling from its talons. Abbott 

 records one taken near Sanchez that had remains of rats in its 

 stomach, and another from near Furcy that had eaten bats. They 

 were said to destroy chickens even in the time of Oviedo, which is 

 not surprising in a country where chickens are not confined, but 

 compelled to seek the greater part of their food, wander regularly 

 afield at a distance from houses. Many houses, too, occupy only 

 small clearings so that these hawks come naturally near at hand. 

 Wetmore noted that the passing of these hawks frequently caused 

 commotion among small birds. Beck notes several dashing at 

 domestic fowls, and shot one with the remains of a chicken in its 

 crop. 



The scream of this form is exactly like that of the red-tail of 

 eastern North America. Occasionally these birds are very tame 

 and when resting in trees allow close approach, only calling shrilly 

 in protest when one approaches too near. 



Buteo tropicalis Verrill, described as a new species from two 

 specimens from the south side of Samana Bay, one at least being 

 from San Lorenzo Bay, is based on the immature phase of the pres- 

 ent form. 



The United States National Museum has now twenty-one skins 

 of this hawk, the largest series known to us. It is pertinent to list 

 here the measurements of the specimens from Hispaniola : 



Eight males, wing 332-366 (342), tail 180-203 (192); culmen 

 from cere 24.0-26.4 (24.9) ; tarsus 72.0-83.6 (77.0) mm. 



Nine females, wing 360-374 (363.0), tail 190-212 (201.3), culmen 

 from cere 25.0-28.8 (27.0), tarsus 81.2-85.7 (83.9) mm. 



Aquila antiUa-rum of Hitter is a nomen nudum without nomen- 

 clatural standing. It is cited questionably under the red-tail since 

 this, the most prominent of the large hawks of Haiti, is not other- 

 wise mentioned by Hitter. It is possible therefore that Ritter may 

 have intended to indicate the red-tail under this name. 



