187 



liROA I) WINGED HAWK. 



Buteo latissimus. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length of femalo about 17: extent about 36; tail about 74 

 inches. 



Adult— Upper part umber brown and many feathers edgred 

 with rusty or whitish; tail crossed by three black and two 

 white bands, and narrow white tip, lower parts white or 

 yellowish-white, variously streaked and spotted with rusty. 

 Immature birds are duller and have showy dark cheek 

 patches; tail grayish-brown, with white tips and crossed 

 with five or six indistinct dusky bands; lower parts similar 

 to adult, but paler and spotted or streaked with black and 

 dusky. Ills brown; legs and feet yellow. 



Habitat.— Eastern North America, from New Brunswick and 

 soulhvi'ard to Central America, northern South America and 

 the Saskatchewan region to Texas and Mexico, and thence 

 the West Indies. 



Of the genus Buteo, in this sectiou, the Broad- 

 winged is the least abundant. It is a native and resi- 

 dent. The moTements in the air of this hawk are easy 

 and beautifnllj graceful. When in quest of food, its 

 flight is in circles. At times, when circling, like the 

 Sparrow Hawk, it will stand for an instant beating 

 the air, and then descend with great velocity upon its 

 prey, which it secures, not in its descent, but as it is 

 on the rise. I have on more than one occasion wit 

 nessed this species take aliment in the way described. 

 I incorporate it, notwithstanding that it disagreesi 

 with certain good authority. 



THE NEST AND EGGS. 



Nest building takes place from the first to the mid- 

 dle of May. and the four nests which I have found 

 have all been located in high trees; three in hickory 

 trees, the other in an oak. All of these nests were 

 over fiftv or sixtv feet from the ground. The nest is 



