FALCON T D.l'; — Til l'] K A LC( > X .S. 9 q ^ 



i\rr. .fiick.sdii (.f West Clii'ster, ' ;;., pves March 24 tlio earliest, and Ajail 

 l.> the hiti'st, ill wliifli he lias met with its I'resli egjis. 



Mr. llulgway ohtaiiied twu ryn's of this Hiuvk a'. Mount Carinel, 111., on 

 the Gth ot ]\Iareh, tlie iiust havinj,' been coninieneeil early in Felininry. il 

 v.-as placed on thusiiiiunit ol' a lilaLk-,i;iini tree {X//m< ninltijluni), and rested 

 I'.pon tlie toimiu^t hraiielies, about ninety leet I'roiu the ground. Il wa.s lined 

 with corn-Iiu.sks, galliered IVoin a liel.l close liy. The ey,us (Xo. ll',740, S. I. 

 Collection) measure, lesjiectiveiy, 2.45 and L'.r.O in len<;th, by l.tto and 2.(1(1 

 in breadth. Tlieir color is jilain Idiiish-white, entirely free I'roin niarkinj^s 

 of ly kind. 



hi California, the var. nilnrux is stated to l)e common in all parts of tlie 

 Sta'e not destitute of trees, and to reside i)ermanently wlierever found, pair- 

 in-,' only durin-- the l>ieediii,^-.season. They i)rey ujion hares and other 

 small (piadrupeds, upon smaller liirds, and upmi rejilile.s. Dr. Cooper 

 states that at time.s, when food is plenty, they become excessively fat. They 

 are known to occasionally seize a fowl from the farm-yard. I)urin,L; the 

 middle oi' the day, in the eokl weather, they are said to soar veiy high in 

 the air, and occasionally to disajqiear also in tlic manner of their eastern 

 relatives, the Buhv humilis. They are said to be abundant and resident 

 species in WasJiington Territory, bavin- been found by Dr. Suckley quite 

 numerous at I'uget .Sound, but scarcer on the Ujiper Colunil)ia, east of the 

 Cascade ^Mountains. It seems to be more daring than is common with the 

 homdis,iov \)v. Suckley states that while he was stationed at Fort Steila- 

 coom he noticed that the poultry-yards Avere as much harasseil by tliis 

 Hawk as Ity the Goshawk, not hesitating to seize poultry from the very 

 doors of the dwelling-houses. 



Dr. Kennerly states that this Hawk was met with by him between the 

 coast of Texas at Indianola, and the l!io (Jrande at YX I'aso del Xorte. It 

 seemed to feed indifferently upon reptiles, particularly li/.ards, and the 

 smaller ([uadrujieds and birds. 



Dr. Cooper states that the nests of this species are numerous in the val- 

 leys and on the lower mountains of California. They are generally built in 

 the forks of a sycamore or other large trees, and formed of twigs jiretty 

 finely constructed, and with a very distinct cavity. Eggs, taken by Dr. 

 Coo])er near San Diego, were laid about the 2()tli of ^farch, and were three 

 in number. They measured 2.28 by 1.7() inches, were of a dull yellowish- 

 white, with faint brown ,s])ot.s. While Dr. Cooper was climbing to the nest, 

 the old birds darted towards him from a neighboring Ijlufl', but when Mithin 

 a lew feet of his head they turned away and did not attempt to make an 

 assault. 



Two eggs belonging to the variety caliirun were obtained by Mr. E. Samuels 

 near Petaluma, Cal, in 1S.")(; ; measure 2.:?1 inches in length by 1.87 in 

 breadth. The .shape of one egg is an almo.st exact ovoid, slightly tending to 

 a spheroid, one end being hardly perceptibly larger than the other. Its 



