NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 179 



345. Umbitinga anthracina (LIGHT.) [444.] 



Mexican Black Hawk. 



Hab. Arizona, southward to northern portions of South America. 



A beautiful Hawk, known as the Mexican or Anthracite Buzzard, 

 and found throughout tropical America, and north to Southern Arizona. 

 The general color of the adult bird is coal-black ; tail-coverts narrowly 

 tipped with white ; tail black, the tip and base white, and crossed at 

 about the middle by a broad band of white. 



Dr. Edgar A. Mearns met with this Hawk in the valley of the Rio 

 Verde River, Arizona, in 1884-5. The birds were present throughout 

 the summer months, but departed in autumn ; they were extremely 

 shy and were usually found hidden in the dense foliage of cottonwoods 

 near water, in some low situation. Their flight he describes as swift 

 and powerful. Occasionally one was seen eating a fish upon the sandy 

 margin of the river. Their loudly whistled cry was rendered with 

 great power, and different from that of any bird of prey with which he 

 was acquainted. 



A nest was found built in a cottonwood tree June 19. This had 

 evidently been the birthplace of many generations of these Hawks, 

 for it measured four feet in depth by two feet in width. It was lined 

 with a layer of cottonwood leaves, several inches deep, was very slightly 

 concave, and composed of large sticks, much decayed below, showing 

 that they had been in position for a number of years. The nest was 

 about thirty feet from the ground and contained a half-grown nestling. 

 Upon approaching the nest the Hawk exhibited much uneasiness and 

 screamed lustily.* The eggs, two or three in number, are described as 

 plain white, average size 2.10x1.75. 



346. Asturina plagiata SCHLEGEL. [445.] 



Mexican Goshawk. 



Hab. Southern border of the United States, southward to Panama; accidental in Southern Illinois. 



Captain Charles K. Bendire states that this, one of the handsomest 

 of our Raptores, is not an uncommon summer resident of the southern 

 portions of Arizona. The bird's peculiar call-notes he describes as re- 

 sembling the piping of the Long-billed Curlew ; their flight exceed- 

 ingly graceful and swift, resembling in many respects that of the 

 American Goshawk. They seem to prefer more open country than 

 the latter species. In the timber bordering Rillitto creek, near Tucson, 

 Captain Bendire found this Hawk breeding in 1872 ; on the dates May 

 17, June 6 and 19, and June 20, nests were found containing two and 

 three eggs each. The nests were placed in cottonwood trees, fifty and 

 seventy-five feet from the ground ; one found May 17, located in the 



*Auk, III, pp. 69-73. 



