356 Audubon's Ornithology, First Volume. 



His remarks relative to the flight of diurnal birds, more espe- 

 cially of the falcons, given in the history of Harris' Buzzard, p. 

 25, present many new and interesting facts and observations. 

 Mr. Audubon's experience has led him to the conclusion that a 

 greater length of wing affords no indication of consequently 

 greater power of flight in any species. The power of flight is 

 dependent upon the rapidity with which the wings are moved, 

 and the muscular energy applied to them. In evidence of this 

 he cites the turkey buzzard, which, notwithstanding its very am- 

 ple wings, is one of the very slowest birds. The golden eagle, 

 which has universally been considered a bird of most extraordi- 

 nary powers of flight, is little better than a sluggard. The va- 

 rious groups of hawks are classified by their mode of flight, but 

 we have not room to state the classification at length. The swift- 

 est group is that containing the pigeon hawk, goshawk, etc. The 

 speed of the latter is so great as to enable it to outstrip even the 

 wild pigeon, the swiftness of whose flight is proverbial. 



Some diversity has existed among our ornithologists of late years 

 relative to the plumage of the little screech owl ; the disagree- 

 ment being which is the old bird, that with the red or that with 

 the gray plumage. This controversy, supposed to have been set- 

 tled by the fact that Mr. Samuel Cabot, Jr. shot a red plumaged 

 female in the act of feeding gray plumaged young, is, it seems, 

 still mooted. Mr. Audubon says : " the Red Owl of Wilson and 

 other naturalists is merely the young of the bird called by the 

 same authors the Mottled Oivl, and which in fact is the adult of 

 the species." While we confess our own leaning to be slightly 

 in favor of the seniority of the red plumage, we cannot decide 

 between such conflicting opinions without clearer evidence than 

 has been adduced. The question is an interesting one, and we 

 hope some one having the means will keep live specimens of 

 birds in each plumage, for the purpose of definitely ascertaining 

 the adult. 



Among those species the existence of which on this Continent 

 was a matter of doubt, or even wholly unsuspected, there are 

 several given in this volume, which have now ceased to be sub- 

 ject for longer uncertainty. These are as follows : the Caracura 

 eagle, found in Florida ; Harris' buzzard, new species, shot in 

 Louisiana ; common buzzard, Columbia river ; little night owl, 

 European species, obtained near Pictou, in Nova Scotia, where it 



