38 BIRDS OF THE PAPAGO SAGUARO NATIONAL MONUMENT. 



Pedro that a pair of " black hawks " had taken possession of the old nest. As 

 such birds were not common thereabouts the statement was worth looking into. 

 I reached the tree just before sundown and to my delight I found things as 

 represented and that one bird then occupied the nest. It was black, sure enough, 

 and resented interference with many angry screams as it circled above the 

 tree. It proved to be a male band-tailed buzzard (Buteo abbreviatus) . Un- 

 fortunately the female, although seen at a distance, failed to respond to the 

 cries of her mate, and what was still more unfortunate the nest contained no 

 eggs. It had been newly lined with leaves from the tree and was apparently 

 ready for housekeeping. I waited till noon the day following in the hope of 

 being able to make a closer acquaintance with the mate of the bird I then had, 

 but had to leave without being thus privileged. 



I subsequently learned from the late Major Chas. E. Bendire that he had, dur- 

 ing the spring of 1872, climbed this same cottonwood tree and had examined 

 the nest in question. He was at that time camped on the Rillito and had, 

 while scouting, seen the nest. Some days later, as no hostile Indians were 

 known to be about, he returned to the tree and climbed to the nest, which is 

 located in a fork of the tree about 40 feet up. While examining the nest he 

 happened to look in the direction of the opposite hill and saw an Indian watch- 

 ing him from behind a giant cactus with which the hills thereabouts are thickly 

 covered. To be caught meant a lingering death at the stake, to escape, under 

 the circumstances, seemed almost impossible, but he did. He pretended not to 

 have seen the Indian and after having apparently satisfied himself about the 

 nest he slowly descended the tree, but no sooner did his feet touch the ground 

 than he made a run for his horse which was tied a short distance below. As 

 he did so about 30 Indians gave chase, but he fortunately got away. 1 



TEXAS NIGHTHAWK. 

 Chordeiles acutipennis texensis Lawrence. 



Recognition marks. Usually seen flying. A medium-sized 

 brownish-colored bird, about 9 inches in length, with long pointed 

 wings. On each wing a round spot, white in the adult male, yellowish 

 in female and young, conspicuous in flight. 



Occurrence. In all the valley towns of southern Arizona the Texas 

 nighthawk is a familiar sight. It has not, as yet, acquired the habit 

 cf its eastern relative of nesting upon the flat roofs of buildings, but 

 throughout the summer the birds may be seen in numbers at dusk, 

 hawking about, low over the houses. In walking about on the desert 

 one is sure to flush Texas nighthawks from their resting places 

 under the bushes, where they usually remain during the daytime. 

 Though preferably feeding at dusk, they are by no means helpless 

 in the bright light of day. In fact, they do not appear to be par- 

 ticularly discommoded by the glare of the sun, and may be seen 

 going through their courting antics at any hour. 



The male Texas nighthawk performs no such spectacular evolu- 

 tions as the eastern nighthawk does in the breeding season, but he 



1 Brown, H., Auk, XVIII, 1901, pp. 392-393. 



