158 FALCONS. 



1. MARSH HAWK, C. IIUDSONIUS. 23.00; above, blu- 

 ish-ash ;' upper tail coverts, white; beneath, white spotted 

 with pale reddish, fig. 192. Female and young, brown above, 

 reddish beneath spotted with dark-brown. Breeds through- 

 out N. A., nesting in marshy places in May; migrates south 

 in early Nov. to winter from the Carolinas southward to Pan- 

 ama rarely as far north as Mass. ; comes north in April. 

 Flies low over fields and marshes, moving with an irregular 

 flight with rather slow wing-beats. Food, mice, frogs, snakes 

 and lizards. Common. 



B. FALCONS. Falconidae. 



Birds of varying size having long, pointed wings, tails of 

 medium length ; cutting edge of lower mandible, toothed ; 

 lower, notched. 



a. Gyrfalcons. Hierofalco. 



Large falcons often white with some dark bandings but 

 with no special dark markings about head; breeds in north- 

 ern latitudes. Nests on cliffs. 



1. WHITE GYRFALCON, H. ISLANDUS. 22.00; white 

 somewhat banded on back with dusky, fig. 193. Young, more 

 or less streaked below with dusky. Arctic regions, wander- 

 ing south in winter to Labrador and northern Me. 



2. GRAY GYRFALCON, H. BUSTICOLUS. Dusky 

 throughout much streaked on head and barred on tail with 

 whitish, these bars being nearly as wide as the dark inter- 

 spaces ; banded elsewhere above with pale grayish or buffy, 

 and streaked beneath with the same. Young, with streakings. 

 beneath narrower and the upper parts are spotted with whit- 

 ish or light buffy. Arctic regions straggling southward in 

 winter. 



2*. GYRFALCON, H. K. GYRFALCO. Darker than 2, 

 with very few whitish markings on head; light tail bands 

 narrower and darker and bluish gray; bandings above, in- 

 distinct and streakings below broader than light interspaces; 

 much banded with dusky on flanks and thighs. Young even 



