PIGEON HAWK. II 



a more certain refuge in diving beneath their yielding element. 

 If the prey be not too large, the Falcon mounts into the air, 

 bearing it off in his talons, and then alights to gorge himself 

 with his booty at leisure. Sometimes he attacks the Kite, 

 another fellow- plunderer, either in wanton insult, or more 

 probably to rob him of his quarry. 



The Peregrine is very generally distributed throughout America, 

 but excepting on the Atlantic coast of Labrador, and possibly on 

 Newfoundland, it is nowhere common in this faunal province. It 

 is a winter visitor chiefly in Ohio and southern Ontario, but it is 

 known to breed on isolated cliffs in the Maritime Provinces and the 

 New England States, and it is said that nests have been found in 

 Pennsylvania and Maryland. The report of its building in a swamp 

 in New Jersey has not been confirmed. 



PIGEON HAWK. 



Falco columbarius. 



Char. Generally the prevailing color, above, is blackish brown, though 

 the older birds assume a dull tint approaching bluish gray ; wings, back, 

 and tail streaked and barred with buffy or reddish brown. Tail tipped with 

 white ; the middle tail-feathers in male with four bands of blackish, and 

 in female about six pale bands. Below, dull, pale reddish brown, lighter 

 on breast and throat. Length ii to 13 inches. 



Nest. Usually on branches of trees, though found sometimes in cavi- 

 ties of dead trees and on cliffs ; loosely built of twigs, and lined with grass 

 and leaves. 



Eggs. 3-6; buffy or pale reddish-brown ground color, blotched with 

 dull red and brown ; 1.30 x 1.55. 



This species is a little larger than the following, bu. by no 

 means so abundant ; though met with in latitude forty-eight 

 degrees by Long's Northwestern Expedition, and occasion- 

 ally extending its migrations from Texas to Hudson's Bay, and 

 rearing its young in the interior of Canada. Its nest was also 

 observed by Audubon in Labrador in the low fir-trees, and con- 

 tained five eggs, laid about the ist of June. It is shy, skulk- 

 ing, and watchful, seldom venturing beyond the unreclaimed 

 forest, and flies rapidly, but, I believe, seldom soars or hovers. 



