187 



MKOA D-WINGED HA WK . 

 Butea latissimns. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Lc-ngUi of female about 17: extent about S6; tail about Ti 

 inches. 



Adult Upper part umber brown and many feathers edKcl 



with rusty or whitish; tail crossed by three black and two 

 white bands, and narrow white lip. lower parts white or 

 yellowiPh-white, variously streaked and spotted with rusty. 

 Immature birds are du'ler and have showy dark cheek 

 patches; tail grayish-brown, with white tips and crossed 

 with five or six indistinct dusky bands; lower parts similar 

 to adult, but paler and spotted or streaked with black and 

 dusky. Iris brown; legs and feet yeltow. 



Habilat.— Eastern North America, from New Brunswick and 

 southward to Central America, northern South America and 

 the Saskatchewan region to Texas and Mexico, and thence 

 the West Indies. 



Of the geiius Buteo, in thi.s section, the Broad- 

 winged is the least abundant. It is a native and resi- 

 dent. The movements in the air of this hawlc are easy 

 and beautifully graceful. When in quest of food, its 

 flight is in circles. At times, when circling, like the 

 Sparrow Hawk, it will stand for an instant beating 

 the air, and then descend with great velocity upon its 

 prey, which it secures, not in its descent, but as it is 

 on the rise. I have on more than one occasion wit 

 nessed this species take aliment in the way described. 

 I incorporate it, notwithstanding tliat it .disagrcesi 

 with certain good authority. 



THE NEST AND EGGS. 



Nest-building takes place from the first to the raid 

 die of May, and the four nests which I have found 

 have all been located in high trees; three in hickory 

 trees, the other in an oak. All of these nests were 

 over fifty or sixty feet from tlic ground. The nest is 



