BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 187 
It is undeniably difficult for me to regard Krider’s Hawk as 
a variety of the common Red-tailed Hawk. 
I was much disappointed that Mr. Washburn did not meet 
with it either in Crow Wing or Otter Tail counties, as his two 
explorations extended over sufficient time for a careful ob- 
servation of its habits had he found them in sufficient numbers. 
All the specimens that I have had in my hands up to the 
present time, have been males, where I have had an oprortun- 
ity to be certain as to the sex, and have averaged less in their 
measure than B. borealis 
The difference in the measure of white in the colors consti- 
tutes the recognized distinguishing character of this variety of 
the Red-tailed Hawks. 
BUTEO BOREALIS CALURUS (Cassry).  (3370.) 
WESTERN RED-TAIL. 
A single specimen of this variety of the Red-tail is all I have 
to justify its record within the boundaries of my investigations. 
That it has been killed repeatedly along the Red river by 
sportsmen I have no doubt from descriptions from them, but 
while engaged in the exciting events of ‘‘good wing-shooting”’ 
amongst the ducks, all thoughts of the solicitations of im- 
portunate science are forgotten, to be only recalled by meeting 
some one of her humble servants. 
Between the facts and the fancies of the narrator, one of the 
former here and another there, will build up considerable cir- 
cumstantial proof in such a matter. While ‘‘one swallow 
doesn’t make it summer,” it makes one think aboutit. The re- 
cords of the presence of the Western Red-tail in Illinois are 
fully accepted. 
The single specimen I refer to above was in unmistakable 
plumage and from the vicinity of the Red river. 
I am familiar with the species in its recognized habits where 
its habits do not differ from the Red-tails of the eastern states. 
My experience with one of them that I had winged in Santa 
Clara county, California, in the spring of 1872, gave me a last- 
ing respect for his indomitable courage which has been freshly 
recalled by reading the Rev. J. H. Langille’s account of carry- 
ing one of the Hastern Red-tails home on the muzzle of his gun 
which it had seized after being disabled for flight by winging. 
I can conceive of nothing but the bird’s recognition of his pro- 
fession that spared him from a like proof of his valor. 
My bird as readily accepted the proffered muzzle of the gun, 
but in less time than it takes to wink he had ascended, ‘‘hand 
over hand” and dealt nothing less than a baker’s dozen of blows 
