142 



ZOOLOGY. 



Family F A L C N 1 D A E . The Falcous. 



Sub-family FALCONINAE. True Falcons. 



FALCO NIGRICEPS, Cassin. 



The Western Dnck Haivk. 



Falco niyrkeps, Cassin, Birds of Cal. and Tex., I, p. 87, (1853.) — Ib. in Gilliss' U. S. Astron. Exped , 11,(1855,) 

 pi. xiv. — Baird & Cassin, Gen. Eep. Birds, p. 8. 



Sp. Ch. — Above bluish cinereous, narrowly banded with black ; below reddish, with circular spots, and bands of black on 

 sides. Crown and cheeks nearly black. Female : length 15 to 17 J inches ; wing, 11 to 12 ; tail, 6 to 6^. 



Younger : above dark brown ; tail barred with rufous on inner webs ; beneath reddish yellow, with broad stripes of black. 



Adult : resembling the common duck hawk of the eastern coast, (F. analiim,) but smaller, and with the bill disproportion- 

 ately weaker. Head and neck above black, and a large Wack space on cheeks. 



Specimen No. 8501, original No. 63. Dimensions when fresh : Length, 17.25; extent, 39.50. Iris hazel, bill whitish 

 blue, feet yellow. Plate xi (birds) represents this specimen. 



Of the western duck hawk I have seen only two pairs, which, in March, 1854, frequented a 

 high wooded cliff at Shoalwater bay. Often as I passed underneath they would fly round over 

 my head, and I succeeded in shooting two of them, which were marked exactly alike. The 

 other two, from their larger size, I supposed were females, and they soon after left the 

 neighborhood. I supposed from their keeping about the same spot that they intended to build 

 there.— C. 



In the summer of 1856 Mr. George Gibbs, of Steilacoom, W. T., presented me with a 

 specimen of this bird, killed near his farm. This was forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution 

 museum. I know nothing respecting its habits. — S. 



FALCO COLUMBARIUS, Linnaeus. 



The Pigeon Hawk. 



Falco columharius, Linn. Syst. Nat., I, 128, (1776.) — Wilson, Am. Orn. II, pi. xv, fig. 3. — Baied & Cassin, Gen. 



Kep. Birds, p. 9. 

 Falco columharius and lermerariiis, AcD. B. of An,, pi. Ixxii and xeii ; oct. ed. I, pi. xxi. 

 Hypolriorchia columharius, Newberry, P. K. K. Rep., vol. VI, p. 74, (Birds.) 



Sp. Ch — Small and stout In form ; above bluish slate color, with black lines; beneath pale yellowish or reddish white, 

 each feather with a black stripe. Tail with one wide dark band, and several (about three) narrower bands of black. 



Younger : dusky or light brown ; sometimes with ferruginous markings ; beneath dull white, with light brown stripes. 

 Tail pale brown, with about six white bands. 



Young: brownish black, the white parts dusky, stripes wider, sides with black bands and white spots; quills and tail 

 nearly black, the tail with about four white bands, or unspotted. 



Ho. 4476, adult female. Straits of Fuca, April, 1855. Length, 12. 50 ; extent, 27 inches. 



No. 4475, adult male, Santa Clara, Cal., November, 1855. Length, 11. 75 ; extent, 23. 50. 



No. 4477, young male, Shoalwater bay, August, 1855. Length, 10. 25 ; extent, 22. 50. 



Iris brown, bill bluish black, cere and feet yellow, in all the specimens. 



The pigeon hawk seems to be rather uncommon in the Territory. I shot one in June, 1853, 

 and did not see another until April, 1855, when they had just arrived at the Straits of De 

 Fuca. I was surprised one day by an unusual screaming of some bird close to the house, and 

 going out I found that one of these hawks had just caught an unfortunate flicker^ \yhich 

 - probably feared no assault from a bird no larger than itself. Its weight brought the hawk to 

 the ground, where I immediately shot it. On picking it up the flicker, though unhurt either 



