246 NOllTM A-NrKUICAN" BIRDS. 



Asturina nitida, vm. plagiata (Sciilkg.). 



MEXICAN HAWK. 



Asturina niliila, Cash. Birds N. Am. 1858, 35. — Sci.. k H\LV. Il)i.s, 1859, 217. — Sai.v. 

 IUh, 1801, (18. - Sfi.. 1'. Z. S. 1857, IM'. 'M, '227 ; 185!!, pp. at!8, 3811 ; 1804, 178. — 

 l.AWii. .Villi. N. Y. Lyr. IX, lya. — <)\vi;n, IliU, III, 1808 (i'j,'g wliitc). J.tliirina 

 ciiii-mi, I'Ass. r. A, X. .S. 1855, 283 [uu\ iil' ViKll.l.. !). Asturina /ilmjiula, jSciii.Kii. 

 Mus, l'uys-Hii.s. Asliiriiiiv, \>. 1. - Sci,. & .Sai.v. I'. Z. «. 1808, 173; 18011, 130.— 

 GiiAV, lluml List. I, 30, 1800. — HimiW. Am. Nat. VI, July, 1872, 430; VII, April, 

 1873, 203; (.SoutliiTii Illinois, August). 



Sp. CiiAii. Aihili male (■)I,:t4;t, Mazatlan, Mexico; Ford. Bisclioff. "Lciifftli, 10.00; 

 I'xti'iit, ;{S,()o "), Aliovi- (k't'p, nitiu-r dark ciiu'ruoiis, bucoiniii},' pnlor and liner on the liead 

 al")ve, wlicre tiie featlicrs have tlit; slial't.s (lineiy) Idaek | winp-s witli oljsolete ligliter 

 Imrs; riiiiip ahiiiKt lilaek. I'pper tail-covert.s iiniiiaciilate pure white. Tail jjure l>laek, 

 tijiped witli pale },'rayi.xli-l)n>\vii (iiii.'< jiassin;^' torniiiially into white); at)ont li inehe.s 

 from the lip is a eonlinnou.s band of wliito, half an inch in width; and a little over an 

 inch anterior to this i.-; anotlier narrower and les.s jierlect one. Primaries approaehinj,' 

 Maek at ends; the tips broadly ed_i;ed witii dull white, as also tlu; ends of seeondaries. 

 Head imiforni line delicate ashy, lu'eominf; white on ehiii and throat, and approaehini,' the 

 same on the forehead ; shafts of featiier.s on head altove, and neck, black ; neck with obso- 

 lete ))alcr transvor.se bars, the.«c most distinct on jngnlnm ; tlie breast, abdomen, sides, 

 Hanks, axillais, and tibial are ref^nlarly barred transversely with cinereous and pure white, 

 the bars of ea<"h al)ont equal, the white, however, gradually increasing, and the ashy bars 

 narrowing posteriorly, the tibiu! being finely barred ; lower tail-eoverts immaculate pure 

 white. Lining of the wing white, with very rparse, faint, transver.se zigzag bars next the 

 a.xillars and on larger coverts; under surface of primaries white anterior to their emargi- 

 nation, Ix'yond which they are more silvery, leaving about an inch of the terminal portion 

 black, the end of each, however, asliy; outer two quills cro.ssed by narrow bars of ashy, 

 the rest with indications of the same, near the shaft. Fourth (piill longest; third scarcely 

 shorter: .second .shorter than (ifth ; (irst intermediate between eiglith and ninth. AVing, 

 iO.rjO; tail, 7.00; tar.su.s, '.i.OO; middle toe, 1.50. 



Adult female (34,002, Mazatlan, June; Colonel Grayson). Cinereous above darker, tho 

 fnsciie of the wings hardly olwervablo ; front and throat scarcely whiti.sh ; rump almost 

 ]iure black; second tail-band much broken and restricted. Ashy prevailing on the jiigu- 

 lum ; ashy bars bene.itii rather Ijroader. Wings, 11.00; tail, 7..'J0; tarsus, 2.80; middle 

 toe, 1.70. 



Young male (;i5,0(i0, Rio de Coahiiyana, W. Mexico, October : J. Xantu.s). .Vbove, 

 from bill to iqiper tail-covert.s, dark bistre-brown, almost black; feathers of the he.'id and 

 neck edged laterally with pinkish-ochraceou.s, or sulphuret of manganese color; scapu- 

 lars with nearly whole outer webs of this color, they being blacki.sh only along edges 

 and at ends; middle wing-co\erts spotted with the same. Secondaries and primaries 

 faintly tipped with whitish ; secondaries with indications of darker bands, and outer webs 

 (if primaries with still more ol).scure ones; upper tail-coverts white, with s.igitlate specks 

 of lihu'k, one or two on each. Tail umber-brown (ci)nsi<lerably lighter than the wings), 

 lipped with pinkish-ash (ibis ])a.ssing terminally into dull white), and crossed with six or 

 seven liands of black (these becoming gradually, but very considerably, narrower toward 

 the ba.se). Beneath white, with vinaceous tinge (this deepest laterally); bre.ist, abdomen, 

 and sides with large tenr-shapod or euneatc spots of black ; tibiie with numerous trans- 

 ver.<e bars of the same. 



Younij female. Similar to last, but the brown lighter, and more approaching umber. 



