250 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



e l . Inner webs of quills distinctly barred or transversely spotted 

 with whitish ; tail-bands distinct, in both sexes, at all stages; 

 outer webs of quills destitute of distinct grayish, buffy, 

 or ochraceous spots, and general color of plumage darker. 

 Adult female and young with whitish or buffy prevailing on 

 lower parts. Male : Length about 10.00-11.00, wing 7.40- 

 7.80 (7.65), tail 4.65-5.20 (4.87), culmen .48-.50, tarsus 1.30- 

 1.40, middle toe 1.15-1.25. Female: Length about 12.50- 

 13.25, wing 8.35-8.60 (8.50),. tail 5.30-5.50 (5.38), culmen 

 .55-.60, tarsus 1.55-1.60, middle toe 1.35. Nest very va- 

 riously situated (in cavity of cliff or in hollow of tree, 

 on branches of trees, etc.). Eggs 2-4, 1.59 X 1-23, usually 

 more or less spotted or blotched with deep rusty brown, 

 hazel-brown, or cinnamon, on a paler (sometimes buffy 

 whitish) ground-color. Hob. Whole of North America, 

 breeding chiefly north of United States ; south, in win- 

 ter, to West Indies, Middle America, and northern South 



America 357. F. columbarius LINN. Pigeon Hawk. 



e 2 . Inner webs of quills not distinctly barred or spotted, and tail- 

 bands, except whitish tip, indistinct, or obsolete. Adult 

 female and young : Above plain blackish brown ; lower parts 

 very heavily marked with dusky. (Adult male unknown.*) 

 Male : Wing 7.35-7.70, tail 5.25-5.60, culmen .48-.50, tarsus 

 1.30-1.45, middle toe 1.20. Female: Wing 8.25-8.50, tail 

 5.70-5.80, culmen .55-60, tarsus 1.50-1.60, middle toe 1.35- 

 1.40. Hab. Northwest coast, from northern California (in 

 winter) to Sitka. 



357#. F. columbarius suckleyi EIDGW. Black Merlin. 

 d*. Middle tail-feathers crossed by (altogether) five darker and six 

 lighter bands; outer webs of quills distinctly spotted with light 

 grayish in adult male, and buffy or ochraceous in adult female 

 and young, and general plumage paler. Adult male: Above 

 pale bluish gray (top of head usually more or less tinged with 

 light rusty or ochraceous) ; tail crossed, on middle feathers, by 

 five blackish and six light bluish gray (or five bluish gray and 

 one white terminal) bands, the lighter ones often clouded or 

 mixed with white ; outer webs or quills distinctly spotted with 

 light grayish ; wing 7.70-8.05 (7.94), tail 4.90-5.30 (5.11), culmen 

 .50-.60, tarsus 1.42-1.55, middle toe 1.20-1.30. Adult female: 

 Above rather light earthy brown, more or less distinctly barred 

 or transversely spotted with a lighter shade ; tail crossed, on 

 middle feather, by six very distinct and entirely continuous 

 narrow bands of buffy whitish ; secondaries distinctly banded 

 with ochraceous, and outer webs of quills distinctly spotted 

 with a lighter tint of the same; length about 12.00-13.50, wing 



