LOUISIANA HAWK. 36 



Falco Harbisii. 



Adult Female. Plate CCCXCII. 



Bill short, robust, as broad as high at the base, compressed toward 

 the end ; upper mandible with its dorsal outline sloping a little at the 

 base, then decurved, the sides nearly flat, the edge with a slight fes- 

 toon, the tip prolonged, trigonal, descending, acute ; lower mandible 

 with the angle rather long and wide, the dorsal line convex, the edge 

 decurved toward the end, the tip obtuse. Nostrils rather large, ovate 

 oblong, oblique. 



Head large, ovate, flattened above, with the superciliary ridges 

 projecting. Neck of moderate length ; body full. Feet of ordinary 

 length, very robust ; tarsus strong, roundish, feathered anteriorly for 

 somewhat more than a third, and having thirteen scutella, covered be- 

 hind with sixteen scutella, reticulated on the sides and at the lower 

 part ; toes strong, of moderate length, the first and second thickest, and 

 nearly equal ; the first with four, the second with five, the third with 

 eight, the foin-th with six entire scutella, the parts toward the base with 

 transverse series of rectangular scales ; claws long, stout, arched, mo- 

 derately compressed, flat beneath, tapering to a very acute point ; the 

 inner edge of that of the middle toe sharp. 



Plumage rather compact, the feathers broadly ovate and rounded ; 

 ths space between the bill and the eye covered with small bristle-pointed 

 feathers ; the feathers on the outer side of the leg not much elongated. 

 Wings long, broad, much rounded ; the first quill four inches shorter 

 than the fourth, which is longest, the fifth longer than the third, and 

 the seventh longer than the second ; the first four having the inner web 

 cut out ; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail long, broad, slightly 

 rounded, the lateral feathers three-quarters of an inch shorter than the 

 longest. 



Bill light blue at the base, black toward the end ; cere and feet yel- 

 low ; claws black. The general colour of the plumage is deep choco- 

 late brown ; the quills darker ; the upper and lower viing-coverts, and 

 the feathers of the legs brownish-red, the wing-coverts with a central 

 dusky streak, which is enlarged on those toward the edge beyond the 

 carpal joint, and on the secondary coverts, so as to leave only the mar- 

 gins red. The feathers of the rump are faintly margined with red, 



