'7 2 Mearns o>i Birds of Arizo7in. [January 



to escape through the foliage of the cottonwoods without afford- 

 ing a good opportunity for a shot. Tlieir flight is swift and 

 powerful. Occasionally one was seen eating a fisli, upon the 

 sandv margin of the river. They were present throughout the 

 summer, but departed in the autumn, my absence in the field 

 during the months of October and November having prevented 

 me from determining the date of departure. 



On the 26th of Alarch, iSS^^, I found one of these Hawks upon 

 the Agua Fria, about thirty miles southwest of Fort Verde, at 

 a considerably higher altitude ; and on Oak Creek, a mountain 

 stream thirty miles north of Fort Verde, in the foothills of the 

 San Francisco Mountains, I wounded an immature example on 

 the 1 2th of August of the same year, it having probably been 

 reared on that stream, which abounds with trout and other fishes. 



On the 19th of June, 18S5, Captain T. A. Baldwin and I set out 

 to visit Fossil Creek, thirty miles east of Fort Verde, with an 

 escort of two soldiers. We carried some rations and mining im- 

 plements, packed upon a mule and two burros. We found the 

 trail to the caiion without difficulty, but wlien nearlv at the bottom 

 took the wrong fork of the trail, which finally led us to the 

 spring and forks of Fossil Creek, both branches of which we ex- 

 plored for several miles, finding tracks of wolves, bears, deer, 

 I'accoons, and beavers. A ])air of Mexican Black Hawks were 

 found at the forks of the stream close to the place where we had 

 pitched our camp. Their loudly whistled cry is different from 

 that of any bird of prey with which I am acquainted, l)ut is 

 difficult to describe, although rendered with great power. 



They circled about us a few times, then retreated to some tall 

 piiions upon the hillside, wliere tiiey continued to crv vehementlv 

 until I essayed to force my way through the thick scrub oak to- 

 wards them, when both birds flew, with loud screams, to a tall 

 pine tree down the stream, wliere I succeeded in ol)taining a long 

 shot at the male bird, which, although mortallv wounded, flew 

 beyond my reach before dropping to the ground. His mate 

 flew to the pinons far up the steep Ixmk of tlie canon, out of 

 reach, and continued screaming constantly, following me up the 

 caiion. Towards nightfall I came up with Captain Baldwin, and 

 he told me that he had discovered the nest of my rara avis in a 

 tall Cottonwood down the canon, and said if we hastened we 

 might procure the eggs before dark and secure tlie other parent. 



