THE CUBAN SPAEROW HAWK. 315 



Cuba in the spring of 1859, measures 32.5 by 27 millimetres. Two others, 

 collected by Dr. Jean Gundlach in the spring of 1865, measures 33 by 29 

 and 32 by 29 millimetres. None are figured. 



io8. Polyborus cheriway (Jacquin). 



Audubon's caracara. 



Falco cheriivay Jacquin, Beitrage zur GescMchte der Vogel, 1784, 17, Tab. 4. 

 Polyborus cheriway Cabanis, in Scliomburgk, Gniana, iii, 1848, 741. 

 (B 45, C 3G3, R 423, C 535, U 362.) 



Geographical range : Southern border of the United States (Florida, Texas, 

 Arizona), and Lower Calif oniia; south to northern South America, Ecuador, and 

 Guiana. 



This handsome bird, better known throughout its range as the Cara- 

 cara Eagle, is generally a constant resident wherever found ; this at least is 

 the case in southern Texas, and also in southern Arizona, where I saw 

 them in midwinter as well as during the summer months. It breeds in 

 these localities, and also in Florida and Lower California. 



Capt. B. F. Gross, who had excellent opportunities to observe these 

 birds at various points on the Gulf coast of soutliern Texas, writes me as 

 follows : "I found this bird quite abundant in the timber along the Gulf 

 coast. Their nests were generally found in open spots in the woods, where 

 the trees were low and scattering-, and only a very few resorted to the 

 heavier forests to breed. The earliest date on which I found them nesting 

 was March 4, the latest on April 21. The nests were generally placed in 

 low trees from 5 to 27 feet up, usually from 8 to 12 feet from the ground. 

 These were largely, some of them wholly, composed of broom weed, an 

 annual shrub growing about 2 feet high. This plant remains standing 

 through the winter and dies, and the twigs are easily broken off in the 

 spring. This Tuaterial was piled up in a slovenly way in a crotch or on 

 a horizontal liinl), until a rough nest was formed; some of these were quite 

 deeply hollowed, others slightly so ; they looked unshapely, and many were 

 insecurely placed, as I found several tilted over, so that the eggs had 

 rolled out. 



"Brown Pelicans bred in great niimbers on an island in the Laguna 

 Madre, off the coast of Texas. When these birds were returning to tlieir 

 breeding ground, with pouches filled with fish, the Caracaras would attack 

 them until they disgorged, and then alight and devour their stolen prey. 

 These attacks were made from above, by suddenly darting down on the Peli- 

 cans with shrill screams and striking at them with their talons. I am not 

 certain as to whether they caught any of their prey before it reached the 

 ground. I saw this maneuver repeated a number of times by a pair of 

 these birds that nested on this island and by others that came from the 



