loO ZOOLOGY. 



FiGfMS.— Bonap. Am. Orn. H, pi. 11, fig. 1 ; Temm. PI. Col. 319 : Aud. B. of Am. pi. 352 ; oct. ed. I, pi. 16 . Gay, Nat. 

 Hist. ChiU, Orn. pi. 2. 



Sp. Ca.—AduU.—nead and tail and entire under paits whit«. Upper parts fine light cinereous ; lesser wing coverts 

 glossy black, which forms a large oblong patch from the shoulder ; inferior wing coverts white, with a small black patch. 

 Middle feathers of the tail light ashy, uniform with other upper parts ; bill dark ; tarsi and toes yellow. 



Total length, female, 15 J to 17 inches ; wing, 12 inches ; tail, 7J inches. Male smaller. 



Sab — Southern and western States and South America. Spec, in Nat. Mus., Washington, and Mus. Acad. , Philadelphia. 



No. 5895. Santa Clara, Cal.,Oct. 22,1855. Female, length, 16^ ; extent, 41 ; iris, orange red; bill, black; feet, orange; 

 wing, 12 ; tail, 7^ inches. 



I found this beautiful little hawk quite abundant during my visit to California, and almost 

 always to be seen hovering over the meadows in search of field mice, which seem to be its 

 principal food. This specimen had the remains of one in its stomach. Though this hawk may 

 visit the prairie regions of southern and middle Oregon, I never saw or heard of it near the 

 Columbia river. — C. 



CIRCUS HUDSONIUS, Vie ill ot. 



The Harrier ; Ibe 9Iargh Han^k. 



Fdco faidtonaa, Lura. Syst. Nat 1, 128, (1766.) 

 Circus hudsonius, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. pi. 9. 

 Cirau hudsonius, Lisx, Bated & Cassin, Gen. Eept. Birds, p. 38. 

 "FaUx, uliginomt," Gm. Syst. Nat. 1, 278, (1788.) 

 "Falco uliginostu," Wilson, Am. Cm. VI, 67. 

 "Falco cyaneut," AcDtJBOX, Orn. Biog. lY, 396. 

 FiGCXES. — Vieill. Ois. d'Am. Sept. pi. 9 ; WUson Am. Cm. YI, pi. 51, fig. 2 ; Bonap. Am. Orn. II, pi. 12 ; Aud. B. of Am. 

 pi. 356 ; oct. ed. 1, pi. 26 ; Sw. & Pach. Faun. Bor. Am. Birds, pl. 29. 



Sp. Ch. — Upper parts, head and breast, pale bluith ath color, mixed with rufous on back ; upper tail coverts vhilt. Beneath 

 white with small cordate ferrugmaus spots ; quills brownish black, externally ashy, inner web partly white ; tail light ashy ; 

 feathers nearly white on inner webs, with obscure brown bars ; below white ; under wing coverts unspotted. 

 Female: length, 19 to 21 ; wing, 15 J ; tail, 10 inches. 

 Male: length, 16 to 18 ; wmg, 14J ; tail, 8* to 9 inches. 



Toung : above broum, variegated with nifous ; upper tail coverts brown or white ; tail reddish, vnOi or icithout about three 

 wide fulvous bands. Beneath rufous or nearly white, with brown stripes. 



No. 8780, (156.) North fork of the Platte R , Neb , Aug. 17, 1857. Young— length, 21 ; extent, 47 ; wing, 15 inches ; iris 

 brown, bill black, feet yellow. 



No. 8236, (218.) Forks of the Platte R., Oct. 17, 1857. Old male in full plumage— length, 18. 50 ; extent, 42. 50 ; wing, 

 13. 50 inches. Iris and cere yellow, bill slate color, feet brown and yellow. 



This hawk is easily distinguishable, even at a distance, by its large size, long wings and tail, 

 small round head, and long legs. It is also the only kind commonly seen in the northern States 

 sailing slowly over meadows and prairies, generally alighting on the ground, (where it also 

 builds its nest.) It is commonly of a dark bro"mi color, but old birds (after several years) 

 become of a fine ash color above and white beneath, beautifully marked with bars and spots. 

 This state of plumage is rarely seen, and younger birds are often found with nests and young. 



The marsh hawk is abundant throughout the open districts of the Territory, especially in 

 winter, and it builds there. I never saw but two specimens among hundreds, having the 

 light blue color distinctive of the adult male. I found it no less common in CaUfornia. 



In a journey to Fort Laramie, Nebraska, I found this bird no less numerous from July to 

 November, and noticed the curious fact that at least half of them were of the blue plumage. 

 From this I infer that the older birds seek the far interior in preference to the seaboard, either 

 from acquired experience of its greater safety, or for some other advantage which they find 



