486 



BIEDS OF ILLINOIS. 



lars, and wings pass Into a rusty tinge at the edge; this color is. however, always preva- 

 lent on the head, which is conspicuously streaked with dusky. Tail plumbeous dusky, 

 darker terminally, with flvo regular light b.'irs; those towards the base ashy, as they ap- 

 proach the end becoming more ochraoeous; those bars are more continuous and regular 

 than in the adult female, and are seen conspicuously on the middle feathers. Primaries 

 dusky, passing on edge (terminally) into lighter; spots on the inner webs broader than 

 in the female, and pinkish ochre; outer webs with less conspicuous corresponding spots 

 of the same. Beneath soft ochracoous, marked as in adult female, but stripes loss 

 sharply defined; tibiae not darker than abdomen. 



This little Falcon, like the Peregrine, is resident, locally, through- 

 out the State, but is comparatively rare. Like its larger relative, 

 it nests in cavities of large trees in the forest, but where suitable 

 cliffs occur it also builds its nest among rocks. 



"This Hawk," says Dr. Brewer,* "is remarkable for its rapid 

 flight and its courage and enterprise in attacking birds as large or 

 even larger than itself, though generally it only preys upon smaller 

 birds, such as Grakles, Eed-winged Blackbu-ds, Eobms, and Pigeons." 



Subgenus Tinnunculns Vieillot. 



Tinnimcnhis Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. 1, 1807, 39, Type Falco tinnunculus LlNM, 

 Twcilornis Kaup, Nat. Syst. 1S28, 108, Type Falco sparverius Linn. 



Falco sparverius (Liim.) 



AMEKICAN SPABHOW HAWK, 

 Popular synonyms, American Kestril; Little Kusty-crowned Falcon. 

 Falcii srni-vcrivs LiNN, S. N. ed. 10, i, 17,^8, 90; ed, 12, i, 1766, 128.— WiLS. Am. Om. 11, 1810, 

 117, pi. 16. flg. 1 (male), pi. 23, fig. 2 (female).— Sw, & Rich. F, B.-A. ii. 1831, 31, pi. 24. 

 — AuD. B. Am. fol. ed, 1831, pi, 22; oet. ed. i, 1840, 90, pi. 22: Orn. Biog. ii, 1831, 246. pi, 

 142.— NuTT, Man, i, 1832, 58.— Cass, in Baird's B. N, Am. 1858, 13, (s. g. Tinnunculus). 

 — CouES, Key, 1871.15; Check List, 1874, No. 346; 2d ed, 1882. No. 508; B. N. W. 1874,349. 

 Falco (Tinnunculus) sparverius B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B, iii, 1874, 169 (var. sparverius). 

 Tinnunculus sparverius Vieill. 1807.— Baibd, Cat, N, Am. B, 1859, No, 13.— Ridqw. Nom. 

 N. Am. B, 1881, No. 420. 

 Falco isabellinus Swains. Anim. in Menag. 1879, 281 (Cayenne). 

 Falco (Tinnunculus) sparverius yen. isabellinus B. B. & R, Hist, N, Am, B, iii, 1874, 



167, 171, 

 Tinnunculus sparverius isabellinus RiDOvr. Nom, N.Am, B. 1881. No. 420a. 

 Falco sparverius isabellinus CoUES, 2d Chock List, 1882, No. 509. 



Sp. Chae, Adult male (No. 12,025, Washington, D, C: W. Wallace), Forehead. lateral 

 and posterior regions of the crown, occiput, and wings, bluish ash. Crown, nape, scapulars 

 interscapulars, rump, upper tail-coverts, and t,ail, fine cinnamon-rufous; scapulars and 

 back barred with black, the bars broadest and most conspicuous posteriorly. Tail tipped 

 with white, and with a broad, sharply defined subterminal zone of black, about one inch 

 in width; lateral feather, with outer wob and terminal half of inner ashy white, the later 

 with one or two distinct transverse spots of black anterior to the terminal one, Wing- 



• Hist. N. Am. B. iii, pp. 150.151. 



