IG THE PIGEON HAWK— MERLIN— " LITTLE CORPORAL." 



black, tipped with ashy white ; tail light bluibh ashy, tipped with white and with a wide subterminal 

 band of black, and with several other transverse narrower bands of black ; inner webs nearly 

 virhite ; cere and legs yellow ; bill blue ; iris dark-brown. 



Younger. Entire upper plumage dusky-brown, quite light in some specimens, and ^^■ith a 

 tinge of ashy ; head above, with narrower stripes of dark brown and ferruginous, and in some 

 .specimens many irregular spots and edgings of the latter color on the other upper parts. Forehead 

 and entire under parts dull white, the latter with longitudinal stripes of light brown ; sides and 

 flanks light brown, with pairs of circular spots of white ; tibi.-e dull white, with dashes of brown ; 

 tail pale brown, with about six transverse bands of white. Cere and legs greenish yellow. 



Young. Upper plumage brownish black, white of the forehead and under parts more deeply 

 tinged with reddish yellow ; dark stripes wider than in preceding ; sides and flanks with wide 

 transverse bands of brownish black ; and with circular spots of yellowish white. Quills black ; 

 tail brownish black, tipped with white, and with about four bands of white ; cere and feet greenish 

 yellow. 



Total length— Female : 12 to 14 inches ; wing, 8 to 9 inches ; tail, 5 to 5j< inches. 

 " —Male : 10 to II inches ; wing, 7^ to 8 inches ; tail, 5 inches. 



Iris in all stages dark-brown, never yclloio. — H. G. V. 



American Meri.is. Falco Ruliardsonii, Ridgew. 



Adult Male. Upper plumage dull earth brown, each feather grayish-umber centrally, and 

 with a conspicuous black shaft line. Head above, approaching ashy-white anteriorly, the black 

 shaft-streaks being very conspicuous. Secondaries, primary-coverts, and primaries, margined ter- 

 minally with dull white ; the primary-coverts with two transverse series of pale ochraceous spots ; 

 primaries, with spots of the same, corresponding with those of the inner webs. Upper tail coverts 

 tipped and spotted beneath the surface with white. Tail, clear drab, much lighter than the 

 primaries, but growing darker terminally, having basilly a slightly ashy cast, crossed with si.'C 

 sharply defined, perfectly defined, perfectly continuous bands (the last terminal) of ashy white. 

 Head frontally, laterally and beneath — a collar round the nape (interrupting the brown above), — 

 and entire lower parts \\hite, somewhat ochraceous, this most perceptible on the tibia: ; cheeks and 

 ear-coverts with sparse, fine, hair-like streaks of black ; nuchal collar, jugulum, breast, abdomen, 

 sides and flanks, with a median linear stripe of clear ochre-brown on each feather ; these stripes 

 broadest on the flanks ; each stripe with a conspicuous black shaft-streak ; tibiie and lower tail- 

 coverts with fine shaft-streaks of brown, like the broader stripes of the other portions. Chin and 

 throat, only, immaculate. Lining of the wings spotted with ochraceous- white and brown, in about 

 equal amount, the former in spots approaching the shaft. Inner webs of primaries with transverse 

 broad bars of pale ochraceous — eight on the longest. 



Wing, 7.70 ; tail, 5.00 ; tarsus, 1.30 ; middle toe, 1.25. . 



Adult Female — Differing in coloration from the male only in the points of detail. 



Young J/<7/i-— DifTering from the adult only in degree. Tail-bands broader than in the adult 

 and more reddish ; the terminal one twice as broad as tfie rest, and almost cream color. AVing, 

 7.00 ; tail, 4.60. 



