126 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS." 



maiin on tlie Farallones, on the (Jalifornia coast ; but Dr. Cooper thinks it 

 rarely visits the coast border, tlionj,'h he several times saw, near San Diego, 

 a bird which ho supposed to belong to this species. At Martinez, in 

 December, 18G8, he succeeded in shooting one as it Hew from its perch at 

 the ai)proach of the wagon in wliich he was riding. 



It is said to e.vtend its migrations in summer to the Upper ("olumbia, 

 avoiding the densely forest-clad regions. Dr. Heermann saw a young un- 

 fledged individual at Sun Francisco, from which it may be inferred that a 

 few may breed witliiu the State. 



The first individual of this species was taken by Dr. Townsend during his 

 trip acro.ss the cor.tinent, in 1834. It was obtained among tlie mountainous 

 regions of Oregon, near the sources of the I'latte "iiver. Mr. C'assin states 

 that Dr. Heermann procured several specimens in the Sacramento Valley. 



Mr. Cassin remarks that this species, except in its greatly superior size 

 r.iv.l strength, bears a very close resemblance to the well-known -Tugger 

 Falcon of India, a bird much u.sed for the purposes of falconry. 



Dr. Kennerly, who procured a single specimen of this species while his 

 party was encamped on tiie Little Colorado, found it busily engaged in seek- 

 ing its prey among the bushes tliat grew along the river-bank. It was shy, 

 and was procured with difficulty. 



Dr. Sucklcy speaks of tliis Hawk as not at all rare in Oregon. He pro- 

 cured a .specimen of it at Fort Dalles, in the beginning of the winter of 

 1854-55, which had been killed in the act of carrying off a barn-yard i'owl 

 of about its own weight, and which it had just seized near the door of a 

 dwelling-house, — an act demonstrative of a union of courage, ferocity, and 

 strength inferior to none of its congeners. 



Dr. Cooper characterizes this as one of the shyest of Hawks, as it is also 

 one of the swiftest, flying with mpid flappings of tlie wings. It seems to 

 prefer the borders of prairies, where it catches hares, qiuiils, and even laiger 

 game. 



Mr. Ridgway informs me that this Hawk was seen by him in SouMiern 

 Illinois, near Mt. Carniel, September 27, 1871. It had been obtained once 

 before within the limits of Illinois, but in the northwestern part of the State, 

 at Rock Island, by I. Dickenson Sergeant, of riiiladelphia, and presented by 

 Lini to the Academy of Natural Science. 



Its nest and eggs were taken in Utnh by Mr. Ricksecker. I have no 

 notes in regard to the former. A finely marked specimen ol' one of the eggs 

 procured by him is in my cabinet. It measures 2.15 inches in length by 

 1.65 in breadth. It is of a .somewliat less rounded-oval shape than are the 

 eggs of the anatum. The gi'ound-color is a rich cream, with a slightly 

 pinkish tinge, and is beautifully markiul with blotches of vario>is sizes, 

 sha))es, and shades of a red-brown tinged with chestnut, and witli occasional 

 shadings of purplish. Tiiese are conHueiit about one end, wliich in the 

 spei-imen before me chances to be the smaller one. It very closely resem- 

 bles the eggs of the European F. lanunns. 



