iS86. 1 Mkakns oh Birds of Arizomi. 6l 



extended its known North American ranj^e into Texas, in 1879, 

 and described its nest and eggs, taken in Comal Co., in that State, 

 by Mr. Werner. Later in the same year, Mr. F. Stephens de- 

 scribed its breeding habits, as observed by him on the Gihx River, 

 in New Mexico. These records, to which reference will be made 

 further on, give it quite an extensive breeding range across our 

 southern bortlcr. 



Mr. N. C. Brown noted its presence in Southwestern Texas, in 

 the "Nuttali Bulletin,' in 18S3, and again recorded it from that 

 State in 'The Auk' for April, 1884. Mr. Brewster, in Vol. VIII 

 of the '•Bulletin of the Nuttali Ornithological Club,' described 

 three specimens, taken at Tucson. Arizona, by Mr. F. Stephens, 

 who ascertained that it breeds in that locality. 



It is apparent, from the above data, embracing all of the records 

 accessible to me in this remote quarter of the globe, that the 

 status of Biiteo abbreviatiis as a bird of the United States is es- 

 tablished beyond question ; but with Uriibitiiiga antJiracina the 

 case is diiTerent. 



The Mexican Black Hawk's right to a phice in the avifauna of 

 the United States rests solely upon the authority of Mr. H. W. 

 Henshaw, which I consider to be a very good foundation in- 

 deed ; but as doubt has arisen respecting the accuracy of his 

 statement that he had twice seen Uriibituiga anthracina 

 alive in Arizona, and that Captain Bendire had taken eggs 

 believed to belong to this species at Tucson, Arizona, I suppose 

 that this Hawk properly l)elongs in the category of challenged . 

 species in the list of American birds north of Mexico. 



Mr. Henshaw's notice reads as follows: "Captain Bendire 

 writes me that in 1S72 he found this hawk breeding in Arizona, 

 and obtained the nest and eggs. The bird was supposed by him 

 to be the Buteo zonoccrcus^ but has since been ascertained to be 

 this species. It thus has a good claim to a place in our fauna, and 

 may indeed be not uncommon in the southern part of the Territory, 

 since two individuals were seen bv us during the past season. 

 While riding one day a short distance from Camp Bowie, one 

 of these birds sailed past within a few feet, affording me an 

 excellent opportunity for its identification. On a second occasion, 

 while passing tln-ough a narrow cafion, about sixty miles north 

 of Camp Lowell, anotiier flew out from a large Cottonwood, on 

 one of tlie lower limbs of which it had been percliing ; it was 



