66 



THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



fierceness towards strangers, although it was never vi(;ious towards its 

 owner. When no other x^erson was present it would alight on its 

 owner's shoulder and show signs of contentment and pleasure by utter- 

 ing a low musical note and by caresses, which consisted in gently pass- 

 ing his ear or a lock of hair between its bill very much as it did its 

 own feathers in the act of pluming itself. 



The flight of this Hawk, especially that of the immature birds, is 

 heavy in character and suggests that of the owls. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Outer web of outer wing fcathersdistinctly spotted with white, buffy, 

 or yellowish. Shoulders always more or less rusty. 



Adult. — Head, neck, and lower parts more or less rusty or cinmnnon, 

 transversely spotted or barred with whitish; tail bhick, crossed by 

 about six bands of white. Above reddish brown, the center of the 

 feathers darker than the edges. 



Ii)im(tti(rc. — Lower parts dull whitish, loiigitiulinally s])otted or 

 streaked with dark brown; tail dusky, crossed by numerous narrow 

 bands of dull buffy or grayish brown. 



Length: 17.50 to 22 inches (445 to 550"""); extent, '.W) to 44 incluvs 

 (990 to 1117"""); wing, 11.25 to 14.25 inclK^s (285 to 302"""); tail, 8 to 

 10 inches (203 to 254'""'). 



Table showiiKj the resiiJtn of examinniionn of 220 utomachs of the Red-nhouldaved Hawk 



{Buk'O Uneaius). 



