FALGONID^ — B UTEONINjE : B UZZABD8. 545 



with reduction, interruption, or extinction of all these hars except the hist one. Under parts 

 somewhat as in the adult, but, like the upper, without the fulvous or rufous shades ; usually 

 white, unmarked in a large pectoral area, with circlet of throat stripes, and pronounced ahdum- 

 inal zone of dark or blackish markings ; tibiae spotted or not ; crissum immaculate. Tlici'e 

 should be no difficulty in recognizing this hawk among those of the Eastern U. S. in any 

 plumage ; the red tail of the adult is of course distinctive ; a weakly young male might rai-sc a 

 doubt with reference to B. lineatus; in that case, notice the stout tarsi, feathered about half- 

 way down ; the decided white pectoral area, free from spots, circumscribed by dark markings, 

 especially tliose of the abdominal zone ; and absence of any reddishness on the upper parts or 

 wing-coverts. Such is the ordinary "hen hawk" so abundant in Eastern North America, 

 where it is subject to comparatively little variation. In the West, however, where it is equally 

 nuurerous, it sports almost interminably in color, and not always confonnably with geograph- 

 ical distribution. Several of these phases have received special names, as given beyond. 

 I aui willing to spread them upon my page, but too much of uiy life is behind me for me to 

 spend nmch time in such trivial mutabihties. The tendency is to melanism and erythrism, the 

 extreme case of which is B. calurus of Cassiu. A pure horealis, exactly matching the normal 

 Eastern type, is seldom seen in the West. But in all its color- variation, the bird preserves its 

 specific characters of size and robust proportions, being thus readily distinguishable from the 

 smaller and weaker species, B. swainsoni, in any of the endless and somewhat parallel varia- 

 tions of the latter. The nest is usually built high in a tree, a bulky mass of sticks and smaller 

 twigs, mixed toward the centre with grass, moss, or other soft material, and often some featliers. 

 Eggs generally 3, about 2.40X3.00, dull whitish, sometimes with only a few pale markings, 

 oftener boldly and richly blotched with warm shades of brown. The young are slow to acquire 

 their perfect plumage, being long fuU-growm before the red appears upon the taU, and this 

 usually precedes the fulvous of the under parts. 

 51T. B. b. calu'rus. (Gr. KaXdr, ^'aZos, beautiful; oipa, ot«ra, tail.) Western Red-tail. Black 

 Eed-tail. The extreme case is chocolate-brown or even darker, quite unicolor, with rich red 

 tail crossed by several black bars; from which erythro-molanism grading insensibly into 

 ordinary horealis. The usual case is increase over horealis of dark rufous and dusky shades 

 in bars and spots underneath, particulariy on the flanks, flags, and crissum, and presence of other 

 than the subterminal black bar on the tail. One case is chocolate-brown, with a great reddish 

 blotch on the breast. Western N. Am. at large, particularly U. S. from E. Mts. to the 

 Pacific. 



518. B. b. lucasa'nus. (Of Cape St. Lucas.) St. LucAS Red-tail. A light-colored fonn, like 

 krideri, white below, tinged with rufous on the tibias, and no black subterminal bar on the tail. 

 Lower Cala. 



519. B. b. kri'deri. (To John Krider.) Keider's Red-tail. A light-colored form, pure white 

 below, with few markings or none, and the subterminal taQ-bar reduced or obUterated. High 

 central plains, U. S. This and the last hardly tenable. 



***Lightweights; 4 outer primaries cut. 

 :520. B. linea'tus. (Lat. lineatus, striped.) Red-shouldered Buzzard. Winter Hawk 

 " Chicken Hawk." Adult $ ? : Feet and cere chrome yeUow, the anterior tarsal scales 

 tinged with greenish. General plumage of a rich fidvous cast. Above, reddish -brown, the 

 feathers with dark brown centres, giving the prevading tone, and black shafts; head, neck, 

 and entire under parts orange-brown, mostly with dark shaft-lines and white bars, especially 

 on the lower parts posterioriy ; lesser wing-coverts rich orange-brown or chestnut', forming, a 

 conspicuous area on the bend of the wing. Quills and taO-feathers black, beautifully marked 

 with white ; the primaries and secondaries with white spots or bars on both webs terminatin<>- 

 on each edge of the feather, the light bars which cross the feather, and the darker intervening 



35 '^ 



