1893.J Meakns on the American S/>arro-v flawks. 267 



Falco sparverius peninsularis sunsp. nov. 



ST. I.UCAS SFAUUUW HAWK. 



Habitat. — Lower California. 



General characters. — A depauperate insular tbrni, in which a ciiminu- 

 lion of the general size is accompanied by an increase in the size of the 

 bill; also characterized by pallor of coloration, and decrease in the extent 

 of the black markings. 



Zy/e, No. 16,930, Smiths. Inst., $ ad., San Jose, Lower California, 

 John Xantus (original No. 269). 



Adult male. — Similar to F. s. deserticoliis, but smaller, with larger, 

 stouter bill, with less black barring on back and scapulars, and scarcely 

 any black spots on the wing-coverts; under side of wing mostly white, 

 the quills being merely serrated with black next to shaft on inner webs ; 

 underparts suffused with yellow; very slightly spotted on the sides. 



Adult female. — Similar to F. s. deserticolus, but with a more rufous 

 shade on tail; underparts more yellowish ; "iris yellow," instead of hazel. 

 A young female in autumn is said to have had the iris hazel. 



Remarks. — There is considerable variation in the specimens 

 before me. Summer males are much ])leachecl, the under sur- 

 face being pale creamy bufl", those taken in winter being rather 

 deeply tinged with ochraceous cinnamon. Several of them have 

 an unusual amount of white on the lateral rectrices. 



It is interesting, in connection with the dwarfed size of this 

 subspecies, to note the large size of those specimens of deserti- 

 colus from the adjacent portion of California, which exceed the 

 dimensions of all others from North America. 



Measurements. — Average of 6 males : wing, 172.0; tail, 116.0; chord of 

 culmen, 12.6, width of bill at base, 10.4; tarsus, 35.3; middle toe 24.0 mm. 

 Average of 3 females : wing, 17S.0; tail, 120.0; chord of culmen, 12.4; 

 width of bill at base, 10.8; tarsus, 34.5; middle toe, 24.0 mm. Xantus 

 has marked an adult female as measuring 10 inches in length, and 21.75 

 inches in alar expanse. 



Falco sparverius australis Ridgway, 



SOUTH AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 



Habitat. — South America, chiefly east of the Andes Mountains; re- 

 placed by sparverius on the North Atlantic and Caribbean coasts. 



