86 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



in color of body; iris brown; cere and feet yellow. Adult male: Above 

 grayish brown; chest plain rufous; forehead, chin and throat white; rest of 

 under parts buffy or whitish, usually more or less barred and spotted with 

 brown. Female: Similar, but chest grayish brown. Dark phase: Whole 

 plumage sooty brown, but specimens show all degrees of melanism from 

 the normal phase to a uniform sooty color. Young: Above blackish 

 brown, varied with buffy; head, neck and under parts buff or buffy white, 

 more or less marked with blackish. 



Length cf 19-20, 9 21-22; extent d" 48-51, 9 51-57; wing cf 14.50- 

 16, 9 15-17.50; tail 8-10; tarsus 2.30-2.90; middle toe 1.40-1.65; weight 

 1.6-3.5 pounds. 



This species inhabits western America from Alaska to Chili, and 

 occasionally wanders eastward as far as New England. There are at 

 least three records from Massachusetts and two from Maine. It is an 

 accidental visitant in our State, records of only three undoubted New 

 York specimens being before me: 



Onondaga co., N. Y., Oct. 1877. Brewster. Auk, 10: 83 



Brockport, N. Y., Oct. i, 1889. Short. Birds of Western N. Y. p. 10 



Cornwall, N. Y., Oct. 14, 1892. Butcher. Auk, 10: 83-84 



Buteo platypterus (Vieillot) 

 Broad-winged Hawk 



Plate 48 



Sparvius platypterus Vieillot. Tableaux Encycl. Meth. 1823. 3:1273 

 Buteo pennsylvanicus DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 1 1, fig. 1 1 

 Buteo platypterus A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 159. No. 343 



platypterus, Gr., signifying broad-winged 



Description. Our smallest buteo; tail with 2 or more rather broad bands 

 of white; only j wing quills emarginate; upper parts dark grayish brown or 

 slaty gray, more or less edged or marbled with grayish and buffy; under 

 parts brownish or reddish brown, more or less spotted and barred with 

 white, especially posteriorly, the chest being nearly solid ocherous brown; 

 rather distinct dusky mustachios; cere and legs yellow; iris brown. Young: 

 Upper parts dusky, more or less edged with buff and rusty; under parts 



