40 RED-TAILED BUZZARD— HEN HAWK. 



countries southward to the West Indies. Its variations of plum- 

 age are almost innumerable, and consequently its list of synonyms 

 is unusually long. 



It is this Hawk that is so often seen by the traveller in Canada 

 describingr its ereat circles in mid-air over our orchards, troves, 

 fields, wood-lands and new clearings, and its loud and somewhat 

 mournful cry — which I cannot describe — is familiar to all. It 

 comes to us earl)- in the spring, towards the middle or latter part 

 of April according to the weather, and may be seen flying about 

 in pairs in search of a nesting place. On one occasion, on the 

 24th of May, 1864, I watched a pair of Buzzards describing their 

 circles above a piece of woodland bordering on the St. Lawrence, 

 near Lachine. When first observed they were crossing one 

 another's circuits at a comparatively moderate height, or not more 

 than twenty feet above the tops of the trees. Gradually, however, 

 they rose higher and higher, at the same time enlarging their 

 circles, until the)- must have reached an altitude of a great many 

 hundred feet. At this they remained for a considerable lapse of 

 time, when they again commenced to ascend. Even from this 

 great height their cries could be distinctly heard, but as the birds 

 grew smaller and smaller and finally could barely be recognized 

 save by two minute circling specs, these grew fainter and fainter, 

 and at last ceased to be heard, and at the same instant I lost 

 sight of both birds. This habit of the Red-tail, common also to 

 some ot the allied species, I have several times observed and 

 chiefly during the spring of the )'ear. Whether it is for the pur- 

 departures from the normal Eastern standard are the montanus of Cassin, and most later writer.-, 

 but probably net of Nuttall ; the climax is reached in caluriis, Cassin (Red-tailed Black Hawk.) 

 I adopt this name for the extreme Western variety, ignoring the intermediate stages, which have 

 been usually designated montanus. In all of these birds, -luJich adult , the tail liecomes chestnut-red 

 on top, which is never the case witli Swainsoni. 



Tlie Falco or Buteo vulgaris of Audubon is uncertain — rather, let us say, it compreliends bolli 

 the Western Red-tail and Swainson's Buzzard, being ostensibly basedjupon the latter, but the 

 description and figure rather indicating the former. The Buteo montanus of Nuttall (1840 ; not in 

 edition of 1832) is based on Audubon's "Falco buteo" but the description is unmistakably that of 

 Swainsoni. I follow IVIr. Ridgway in relegating both these names to Siminsoni, leaving calurus as 

 the first distinctive name of the Western Red-tail in all its variety. 



Swainsoni is the smaller species, perfectly distinct. — (COUES.) 



