2<)2 NORTH AMERrCAN BIRDS. 



,L,'ii)iiiicl-color is a very lij^ht bull', tlio spottint;s and niarkiiifjs jjiviiif,' to it 

 tlie I'tl'cct (it a yclliiwisli-white. It is uuirkuil over tlio entire siidiKo with 

 lilotelu's, (laslies, and lines of a lii^iit tint (jf a laown tending,' to Vandyke. 

 Tiiese are mixed with niarkinj^s of a lit,diter ])uri)lish-l)rown. The inarkini;s, 

 (it both shade.s, are ehielly oblonj^' in sluqie, and nm wiih the Ienjj;th of the 

 ej,',ii. They bear no resendilanee to any ej,'gs of tlie B. horcalis Unit I liave 

 ever .seen, and are unlike tIio.se of otiier Hawks .so far as 1 am aware. It 

 was built iin the tdji of a large evergreen-oak, at lea.st seventy feet from the 

 ground, and was constructed entirely of large, coarse sticks, lined with a few 

 stray feathers. The male bird was shot as it flew from the nest, which was 

 .so hidden by the thick branches that it would have escaped detectiim. 



The black form ot' this s]iecies was tirst described by JMr. Cassin as Bitlco 

 nil urns, in IiS.k'i, from a specimen procured liy Dr. Henry near Fort Web- 

 ster, New !\Ie.\ico. In this ]iluniage it was afterwards met with by ]\Ir. 

 Emanuel Sanniels, near retaluma, in Califonua, who found it breeding, and 

 was fortunate enough to secure the ]iarent bird on its nest. 



Tlie nest was built near the to]i of an evergreen-oak, at the height of 

 about sixty feet from the ground, and contained two eggs Just on the point 

 of hatching. It was constructed of sticks, and was lined with moss. Both 

 bii'ds were about the spot. Tlie male bird, manifesting much more courage 

 than his mate in resistance to the intruders, was shot. The female was 

 wounded, but escajied. 



One of tliese eggs measures 2.2."i inches in length by 1.79 in breadth. Its 

 cai:)acity is cousiditrably less than that of the specimens just described; its 

 shape is a much more oblong-oval; one end is evidently more pointed than the 

 other. Its ground-color is a diily cream-white, covered, chiefly at the larger 

 end, with blotches and sniidler nuirkings of a dark shade of a lirown almost 

 exactly corresponding Mith that known as vandyke-brown, with smaller 

 ]iiarkings and sjiottings of a lighter .shade of the same. The latter are dis- 

 tributed at intervals over its entii'e surface. 



A nest, found by Mr. Xantus near Fort T(!Jon, is stated by him to have 

 been found in a swamp. It was built in a water-oak, was about fifteen feet 

 from the ground. The nest was very large and was built of coarse sticks. 

 It contained four eggs. 



^oo" 



Buteo harlani (ATDT-nnx). 



HARLAirs HAWK; "BLACK WABBIOB." 



Fako luirlani, Arn. I>. Am. 1S;U, \\\. xxxvi ; In. Oni. liioj,'. I, 441. — Rkf.wf.r (■\Vii,.s.), 

 Am. Oni. Syiiop. 18.52, 684. Biitrn harlnni, UiiN.vi'. List, 18^8, .'i. — Aun. Synop. 

 1839, 6. — Gn.vv, List n. Rrit. Mus. 18. — Di- Kay. Z.iiil. X. Y. II, 11. — Stkicki.. 

 Oni. Syn. 1, an. — Cass. I'.irds X. Am. 18."i8, li4 (ailult, Imt not the ili'soii]itioii of 

 youiif;, wliiih is tliut of 1!. hi>iriilis, v:ir. oilitrim). - ('(in:s, P. A. X. S. IStit!, 43. — 

 filiAV, llixinl List, I, 7 (iiiuler li. //«;•('«/('.■.). — KiDdWAV, P. A. X. S. Dec. 1870, 142.— 

 CouES, Key, 1872, 21 (i. 



