42 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



ICTINIA SUBCCEEULEA, {Bartr.) Coues.* — Mississippi Kite. 



Ou May 7th, I saw several small flocks of these birds in close succession, 

 aud watched them with my glass. They were too high to shoot, but the 

 white head and black square tails were plainly seen, and I have no 

 doubts of their being this bird. They were moving north, and among 

 them were some with white tails. There were about fifty in all, sail- 

 ing in circles and drifting northward. 



Elanoides forficatus, (L.) Coues.\ — Swallow-tailed Kite. 



On March 24th, a few miles north of Brownsville, my companion shot 

 a fine specimen of this splendid Hawk. When it was wounded, others 

 gathered about to the number of eighteen. He was in the densest of 

 chaparral at the time; one or two others shot were not recovered. 

 About March 12th, at Corpus Christi, one was seen. On April 24th, at 

 Hidalgo, we saw three fly over the village. 



71— $ —24.00 X 51.00 X 17.25 x 13.50. Mar. 24, Brownsville. 



AcciPiTER cooPERi, Bp. — Gooperh EawTc. 



Common in open chaparral and on the prairies. 



340— $ —16.75 X 30.00 x 9.25 x 8.00. May 2, Hidalgo. 



Falco COLUMBAE.IUS, L.— Pigeon HawJc. 



This bird had in its crop nearly the whole of a Ground Dove, Cliamce- 

 pelia, passerina. Common in thiiily wooded districts. 



87— $ —12.50 X 26.50 x 8.60 x 6.00. Mar. 27, Brownsville. 



Falco spakverius, L. — Sparrow Hawli. 



Common in open woodland, where it can have free chase for prey. T 

 have found them in harmony with the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Mil- 

 vulus forjicatus, and Common Dove, Zencedura carolinensis, in open fields, 

 where were a few scattered trees and bushes. 



12— $ —11.00 X 23.00 X 7.75 x 0.00. Mar. 8, Corpus Christi. 

 98— <J —10.75 X 23.25 x 7.75 x 5.50. Mar. 27, Brownsville. 



Buteo unicinctuS harrisi, [Aud.) Bidg. — Karris' s Buzzard. 



This dark Hawk was seen everywhere along the Eio Grande, but in 

 especially large numbers in the vicinity of the large packing-house some 

 three miles from Brownsville. There it could be seen at all times in the 

 day, perched on the telegraph poles and trees along the railway track, 

 watching the Turkey Buzzards, Gathartes aura, Black Vultures, Cathartes 

 atratus, and Audubon's Caracaras, Polyhorus auduboni, holding carnival 

 over the offal scattered about in great heaps. By driving our ambulance 

 by the side of the track, we could shoot from it, and in this manner ob- 



*llctimamississi2}2nensis, auct. exWils. — Falco suicerulius, Bartr. Trav. Fla. 1791, 290. — 

 Iciinia sulccerulea, Cones, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1876, 345, q. v.- E. C] 



\lFalco forjicatus, L. 17!i)S.—JSfauclerus forficatus, Kidgw. 187 i.— Elanoides forficatua, 

 Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1876, 345, q. v.—E,. C] 



