200 



NOIITII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Elaniis liiieuTus. 



llAlHTS. The I'lack-sliouldereil Hawk is a soutliorn, wcstovii, ami South 

 AniL'i'ieaii sjwcios. On the racitic it is I'ouml to occupy a iniicli uioic north- 

 ern ran<fe ol' locality tlian in the east- 

 ern States, where it is not found above 

 South C.'arolina and Southern Illinois 

 Specimens have been taken near San 

 Francisco in midwinter. 



Several individuals of this species, 

 precisely identical with others from 

 the United States, were taken by 

 Lieutenant (.Jilliss, in the astronom- 

 ical expedition to Chile. Its lange 

 in South America does not ajipcar to 

 lie confined, as was supposed, to the 

 western coast, as .specimens are re- 

 corded by Von Pelzeln as having been 

 obtained by Xatterer in llrazil, at 

 Ytarare, Irisanjia, and San Joaquin, 

 on the Kio Ilrauco, in August, P"ei)ru- 

 ary, and January. These were taken 

 on the heights. They are also found in the countries of Mexico and Cen- 

 tral America. 



This species has been met with in South Carolin.a, Georgia, Florida, Ala- 

 bama, jVIississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and probably occurs also in New 

 ]\Iexico and Arizona. Dr. (iambel describes them as very abundant in Cali- 

 fornia, where they are said to be familiar in their habits, and breed in 

 clumps of oaks, in the innnediate A'icinity of habitations. Dr. Heermanu 

 also speaks of them as common in that State. But neither of these natu- 

 ralists appears to have met with their nests or eggs. It is not mentioned 

 either as a bird of Cul)a or Jamaica by Mr. Lembeye, Dr. Gundlach, Mr. 

 Gosse, or ]\Ir. ^larch. 



Dr. Cooper speaks of this bird as a beautiful and harmless species, quite 

 abundant in the middle districts of California, remaining in large numbers, 

 during winter, among the extensive tule marshes of the Sacramento and 

 other valleys. lie did not meet with any din-ing winter at Fort Mohave, 

 nor do tliey seem to have been collected by any one in the dry interior of 

 that State, nor in the southern part of California. He has met with them 

 as far north as llaulines Bay, and near Monterey, but always about streams 

 or marshes. Their food consisted entirely of mice, gophers, small birds, 

 and snakes, and they were not known to attack the inmates of the poultry- 

 yard. 



Bonaparte, who first introduced the species into our fauna, received his 

 specimen from East Florida. The late Dr. Ravcnel obtained one living near 

 Charleston, S. C, which he kept several days without being able to induce it 



