02 Mearns on Birds of Arizona. [January 



certainly not more than a dozen feet from mv head. In each 

 instance, the narrow white band across tlie tail, with the size and 

 colors generally, establish its identity beyond a qnestion. The 

 flight is easy and powerfnl." 



Upon the above anthority and the same author's original 

 announcement . of the discovery, published in the 'American 

 Sportsman' earlier in the same year (1S75), the name of this 

 splentlid rapacious bird was enrolled upon our catalogues of 

 North American birds. Nearly a decade had elapsed since this 

 account, without any further advices of the occurrence of the 

 Mexican Black Hawk in North America north of Mexico, when 

 Mr. William Brewster wrote (Bidletin of tlie Nnttall O.-nitho- 

 logical Club, Vol. VIII, 18S3. p. 30) as follows: '-Dr. Coues 

 took a Zone-tailed Hawk on the Gil.i Rivjr, Sept. 24, 1864, and 

 this, so far as I know [overlooking the specimen which fui'nished 

 Mr. Robert Ridgway with the text for his description of the adult of 

 this species in -North American Birds,' Vol. Ill, 1S74, p. 272J, 

 is the onlv identified Arizona specimen which has been pre- 

 viously announced. I cannot help thinking, however, that the 

 bird which Captain Bendire found breeding in Arizona in 1S72 

 reallv belonged to this species, as he at first supposed, and not to 

 Unilntniga. anthracina, as afterwards surmised bv Mr. Hen- 

 shaw. Nor is it improbable that the Black Hawks seen by the 

 latter gentleman near Camp Bowie were also referable here." 



This is clearly a case where '•'the doctors disagree" ; but my resi- 

 dence in i\rizona has enabled me to decide it. In the first place, 

 what respecting the authenticity of Mr. Hens'naw's record .•' The 

 sagacity of that talented author and field collector is too well 

 known to require comment; and the circumstantial manner in 

 which he tells his experience, togetiier with the fact that he took 

 the pains to preface his article with an elaborate description of 

 the species, which he tells us was "kindly furnished by Mr. 

 RiJ^vvay, who exunineJ, for the purpose, a viry large suite of 

 specimens in the collection of the Smithsonian."* and the circum- 

 stance that he immediately published an announcement of his 

 discovery in the 'American Sportsman,' and again refers to it in 

 his "Introductory Remarks" (page 141) as among the important 

 results of his last season's work in Arizona, all go to show how 



* The description, slightly altered and enlarged, \va? afterwards published in that 

 author's 'Studies ofthe American Falconidae,' pp. 170, 171. 



