ZOOLOGY. 143 



by the hawk or my shot, was so frightened that it made no effort to escape from the claws 

 which still held it with the grasp of death. When I released it it flew to a tree near by, and 

 for some time showed its astonishment and joy by loud cries. 



As the pigeon hawk is found in summer, it doubtless breeds in the Territory. In August, 

 1855, I shot one of a small family of young which had but lately left the nest. They probably 

 migrate southward in winter, as I found them abundant in California in October and 

 November. C. 



About the 1st of August this bird becomes very abundant in the vicinity of Fort Steilacoom. 

 W. T. During the summer and autumn of 1856 I obtained a number of specimens in different 

 stages of plumage. Several of these had regular oval spots of rust or cinnamon color on the 

 inner vanes of the primaries. In this character these birds appear to resemble the bird 

 noticed by Cassin in the birds of &quot;California, Texas,&quot; &amp;lt;fec., among the &quot;doubtful and obscure&quot; 

 North American species. Falco obscurus, GDI. (Cassin s work, page 118, vide quotations from 

 Pennant.) 



I think that near Puget Sound this species breeds in the recesses of the Cascade mountains, 

 not coming down upon the open plains until late in the summer. S. 



FALCO POLYAGRUS, Cassin. 



The Lanier Falcon. 



Falco polyagrM, CASSIN, B. of Cal. and Texas, I, p. 88, pi. 16, (1853.) 

 BAIRD & CASSIN, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 12. 



Sp CH. Above brown, quills and tail grayish, tail with white bands. A brown strip from the corner of the eye downwards, 

 and narrow brown stripes and spots below ; also a large brown patch on breast near shoulder and another on flank?. Forehead, 

 cheeks, and under parts white. 



The young has the white parts much more obscured with brown ; upper parts paler brown, with rufous streaks. 



Female : length, 18 to 20 inches ; wing, 13 to 14 ; tail 7| to 8. 



This hawk is not at all rare in Oregon. I was fortunate enough to obtain a specimen of it at 

 Fort Dalles, 0. T., in the beginning of the winter of 1854- 55, which was killed while in the 

 act of carrying off a barnyard fowl, of about its own weight, that it had just seized from near 

 the door of a dwelling-house. This action of the bird seemed to denote that, as a species, it is 

 not inferior in strength, resolution, and ferocity to either the other falcons or the buzzards. S. 



FALCO SPARVERIUS, Linnaeus. 



The Sparrow Hawk. 



Falco sparverius, LINN. Syst. Nat. I, 128, (1766.) 



BAIRD & CASSIN, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 13. 



F. dominicensis, cinnamoniensis, and isabellinus, SWAINSON, Cab. Cycl. p, 281. 

 Figured in Wilson s Am. Orn. II, p. 16, f. 1 ; Aud. B. of Am. oct. ed. 

 Tinnunculus sparverius, NEWBERRY, P. R. R. Rep. vol. VI, p. 74. 



Sp.Cn. Easily distinguished .by its small size, rufous or ferruginous upper parts, beautifully variegated with black and 

 white. The young has the back much more barred, and numerous narrow bars on tail ; a large blue patch on shoulders ; spots 

 beneath larger and mingled with stripes. Female larger and more like the young in colors than the male. 



Male : length, 9^ to 11 ; wing, 6 to 7 ; tail, 4 to 5|. 



Female : length, 10^ to 12 ; wing, 7 to 8 ; tail, 5 to 5$ . 



The sparrow hawk is extremely common during summer about prairies, even at the summit 



