ZOOLOGY. 147 



Sub-Family BUTEONIN AE. T he Buzzards. 



BUTEO MONTANUS, Nuttall. 



The Western Red-tail Hawk. 



Buteo mcnlanvs, NUTT., Manuel I, 112, (1840.) BAIRD and CASSIN, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 26. 

 Falco buteo, (LiNN.,) AUD. Orn. Biog. IV, 508, pi. 372, oct. ed., p. , pi. , (young.) 

 Buteo Swainsonii, CBovAp.,) CASSIN, Birds of Ca .. and Tex., I, p. 43. 



SP. CH. Back brown; tail red, with a black band and a white tip; throat and breast dark brown, mixed with while; rest 

 of under parts deep rufous, or abdomen sometimes nearly white. 



Female: 22 to 25; wing, 16 to 17; tail, 9 to 10 inches. Male: 19 to 22; wing, 15 to 16; tail, 8* to 9 inches. 



Young: tail ashy brown, with numerous bands of darker shade, and white tip; back mottled with white; underneath 

 numerous large dark spots on all parts. 



No. 8534. Yakima river, August 4, 1853. (8.) Length, 22; extent, 48 inches. Female? 



No. 8535. Shoalwater bay, March 21, 1854. Length, 22; extent, 48 inches. Male. 



No. 4521. Santa Clara, Cal., November 10, 1855. Young male. Length, 20.50; extent, 51 inches. Iris hazel; bill 

 bluish gray; feet yellow. 



This is an abundant and resident species in every part of the Territory I have visited, and I 

 have no doubt that it builds there; though, as many hawks build only in the thick evergreen 

 forests, it is very difficult to discover their nests. I have observed it also common in California. 

 I have not observed any difference between its habits and those of its eastern congener. C. 



Quite numerous at Puget Sound; scarcer on the Upper Columbia, east of Cascade mountains. 



While I was stationed at Fort Steilacoom. I noticed that the poultry yards were as much 

 harassed by this buzzard as by the goshawk, neither of which hesitated to seize poultry from 

 the very doors of dwelling-houses. A slight difference is thus noticed in their habits from 

 those of the eastern States, which, according to Nuttall, are not thus bold except in winter. 

 This may be accounted for by the fact that, on Puget Sound, they are more unsophisticated, 

 and that, although hawks as a class are more numerous, small birds to support them are less so 

 in proportion. S. 



BUTEO ELEGANS, Cassin. 



Red-bellied Hawk. 



Buteo elegans, CASSIN, Proc. Acad. So. Phil. VII, 281, (1855.) 



BAIRD & CASSIN, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 28. 

 Figured in P. R. R. Rep. Vol. X. PI. II, adult.; Ill young plumage. 



SP. CH. Breast nearly brick red, unspotted; rest of under parts with numerous reddish white bars. 

 Female: length, 20; wing, 13; tail, 9 inches. 

 Male: length, 18; wing, 12|; tail, 8 inches. 



Young female: every feather beneath with a wide irregular brown band, and sagittate mark at its tip. Back brow*, 

 mottled, shoulders more or less ru ous. Tail with ten or twelve narrow dark bars and white tip. 

 Young- male: shoulders, under wing coverts, and tibia darker rufous. 

 No. 4520. Killed at Santa Clara, Cal., October 23, 1855; measured length, 19.50; extent, 41 inches; female. 



As most probably belonging to this species, I will here mention a hawk which I saw October 

 25 at the town of Santa Clara: &quot;I have lately seen a hawk which looks and flies like an oivl, 

 but has the loud scream and high-sailing habit of the winter hawk at midday. Its back is 

 gray, breast reddish, tail red, (?) and in flying it shows a large dark spot under the middle of 



