802 



NOUTll AMEIUCAN lilUDS. 



ows, plains, and the more open woods. He usually found their stomachs 

 fdled M-itli arvicohu and otiiur small (piadrupeds peculiar to that country. 

 It could always be readily recoj;nized by its conspicuously white under 



parts, contrasted with 

 its dark chesnut tibiie 

 and reddisii back. 



At San Peilro, on the 

 southern coast ol' Cali- 

 i'ornia, he again found 

 this Hawk very com- 

 mon. It there ali'dits 

 very Ireely on the 

 ground, where he often 

 observed it. At Fort 

 Whipple he only saw it 

 on trees. At San Pedro 

 its choosing thus the 

 Imre jdain uiay have 

 Ijcen a matter of neces- 

 sity. 



Dr. Kcnnerly ob- 

 served a single individ- 

 ual of this sjiecies in a 

 " prairie-dog-town " of 

 large extent, near Fort 

 Davis. It was intently 

 watching at the hole of one of these animals. While in this position, it was 

 observed to strike at the prairie-dog with its claw, when one of these ani- 

 mals i)rotruded its head. As it was very intently watching its prey, it was 

 easily approached and shot. 



Dr. Heermann observed this Hawk in the valley of the Sacramento, where 

 lie thought it rather rare, but afterwards, during his connection with the 

 government surveying party under Licuteufint Williamson, in the southern 

 part of the State, he found it very abundant. On one occasion hve or six 

 individuals were in view at the same moment, among the mountains, sixty 

 miles east of San Diego. It was there much more abundant than any other 

 sjjecies. As large tracts of that country frecjuented by these birds are en- 

 tirely without trees, they alight on the ground or on some slightly elevated 

 tuft of grass, or a stone, where they sit patiently for hours watching for 

 their i)rey, which was always found to consist of mice and other small 

 quadrupeds. In one instance the crop was found filled with the remains of 

 a ground stpiirrel. 



Dr. Heermann state? tliat he found the nest and eggs of this bird on the 

 Consumnes liiver. The nest was in the fork of an oak, and was composed of 



Archibutro ffrrtii^ineux. 



