Sub-Family BUTEONIN^, Buzzard Hawks. 



Char. General form heavy ; size moderate or large ; wings rather short and 

 broad ; tail moderate. Flight vigorous, but not swift. 



Between twenty-five and thirty species are known, five only 

 of which belono- to Canada. 



& 



Genus BUTEO, Cuvier. 



Gen. Char. Bill short, wide at base, not very acute ; edges of upper mandil)le with sliglitly 

 rounded lobes ; nostrils large, ovate ; wings with fourth and fifth quills usually longest, giving them 

 a rounded form ; tail moderate, wide ; tarsi moderate, robust, with transverse scales before and 

 behind, small circular and hexagonal scales on sides ; toes moderate or short, claws strong. 



Owing to the great variations in the pkimage of the species 

 constituting this genus, the e.xact number of species is still un- 

 determined. Four are known to occur in Canada.'" 



Buteo Borealis, [Gul] Vieill. 



RED-TAILED BUZZARD; HEN HAWK. 

 PI..VTE X. 



This and the succeeding species are alike known as " Hen 

 Hawks " through the country parts of Canada ; but although much 

 resembling one another in general habits, nidification, and flight, 

 they are very differently colored birds. The Red-tail, as this 

 bird is often called, is met with over the whole of North America 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the borders of the fur 



• Few of our birds have caused more confusion among writers or acquired a more involved 

 synonymy than the Hawks of the genus Buteo. Setting aside lincahis and Pennsylvanicus as totally 

 distinct from each other and from the rest; ignoring for a moment ' harlani ' and 'cooperi,' we 

 will confine ourselves to consideration of the two species, horcalis, GM. , and Swainsoiti, BP. 

 These may be immediately distinguished by the emargination oi four outer primaries in borealis and 

 only three in Svainsoni. There are other points aside from color which varies so greatly in each. 



Borealis (Red-tail) in all its variety of color is much the lafgest, the female averaging about 

 24 inches in length, with a stretch of wings over 50 inches ; it is robust, with a comparatively short 

 wing, and short, stout legs. In the East it remains comparatively cins'.ant in color, aside from the 

 normal changes with age. In the West it runs from a slightly darker or more ferruginous cast 

 into a quite fuliginous condition, the several stages being inseparably connected. The slighter 



