BUTEO PENNSYLVAN1CUS. 315 



The Canadian specimen and the one taken at Salem were in the melanistic condition as 

 given in the dark stage of the description, and the one obtained at Wayland, was in a tran- 

 sit i.mal or intermediate stage. According to descriptions, Swainson's Hawk does not dif- 

 fer strikingly in habit from other allied species, excepting that they occasionally build their 

 nests in shrubbery. 



BUTEO PENNSYLVANICUS. 



Broad-winged Hawk. 

 Bu/eo Pennsylvanicus BON. Syn.; 1828, 29. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, rather slender. Size, small. Tarsus, feathered in front for much les than half its length. Sternum, 

 stout, not very niirrow, with the marginal indentations quite large. Tongue, rather thick and fleshy, not very horny at tip 

 ir is rounded lv.it not bifid. Only three outer quills are incised on the inner webs. Coeca, present but short and 

 thick. Sexes, similar in color. 



COI.OK. Ailult. Alxivo, dark-brown everywhere, lighter on the head and darker no the wings and tail, with the feath- 

 jed with rufous. Wings, white on the edges of inner webs and very obscurely barred with black. Tail, white at 



and tip and rrossc 1 with four bars of ashy-brown , which become lighter on the inner webs. Sides of head, rufous, 

 l with black. Beneath, everywhere pale yellowish-rufous, streaked on the throat with dark-brown and heavily 

 marked on the breast with broad streaking^ of reddish-brown, while the remaining under portions are spotted with arrow- 

 shaped mark" of the same color. Concealed spot on occiput, white. 



Youny. Similar to the adult above, but lighter on the head, and the tail i* crossed with numerous obscure bands of 

 dvk-brown. Beneath, also similar but the spots are rounder, notas large, nor as numerous, only occuring on the breast, 

 flanks, and tibia. 



Youny ofjhc year. Not unlike the young but more rufous below where the spots are rounder and darker, being, in 

 fact, nearly drop-shaped. 



Nestlinys. Are, at first, covered with a yellowish down, then gradually assume the plumage last described which is 

 retained for a year. Iris and bill, brown, cere, greenish, and feet yellow, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There isalitile variation in plumage, some specimens being darker than the type, but this species may be at once rec- 

 ogni/.'-d by tl e small size, incision of only three quills, nearly naked tarsus, and colors as described. Distributed, during 

 summer, throughout Eastern United States, wintering in the more southern portions. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurement* of female specimens from Eastern North America. Length, I6'50; stretch, 34'75; wing, 10'25; 

 tail, (i'55; bill, "68; tarsus, 2-25. Longest specimen, I8'(i0; greatest extent of wing, 36'00; longest wing, 11-65; tail, 7'12; 

 hill, '71; tarsus. 2'45. Shortest specimen, 15'OOr smallest extent of wing, 33'45; shortest wing, 1014; tail, 6- 15; hill, '62; 

 tarsu<, 'J- 1"). 



measurements of male specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 15'35; stretch, 34'75; wing, 10' 15; 

 tail, 0-25; bill, '63; tarsus, 2' 15. Longest specimen, 16'50; greatest extent of wing, 35-00; longest wing, 10 55; tail, 6'50; 

 bill, -Ci5; tarsus, 2'40. Shortest specimen, 14'20; smallest extent of wing, 32'45; shortest wing, 9'75; tail, 6'00; bill, '58; 

 tarsus, 2'05. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nfits, placed in trees. They are bulky structures, composed of sticks and twigs, lined with leaves, weeds, and strips 

 of bark. 



/.////.', three or four in number, varying from elliptical to spherical inform, dirty-white in color, spotted and blotched 

 with brown and umber of varying shades. Dimensions, from r68x2'15 to 1'70 x2'20. 



HABITS. 



The first time that I ever saw a living Broad-winged Hawk to recognize it, was many 

 years ago. I was driving along a street in Newtpn, when I saw a small Ilawk perched on 



