424 BIRDS — FALCONIDiE. 



it appears to be chiefly a migrant, and perhaps a winter visitor. Mr. 

 Dury, as stated by Mr. Langdon, procured specimens from the St. Mary's 

 Reservoir, where it may possibly breed, as it has been found breeding in 

 corresponding latitudes in Illinois. In the vicinity of Columbus it is 

 rare. I have seen a single specimen, and Mr. Jasper has one, which he 

 took in the immediate vicinity of the city. 



The Great-footed or Duck Hawk, is noted for its swiftness of flight and 

 great daring. It follows ducks and other water fowl on their migrations, 

 pursuing and striking them down, while on the wing. It is sometimes 

 very bold, seizing the bird, which the gunner has killed, and carrying it 

 off, when almost within his reach. This temerity is often fatal. 



The nest of the Duck Hawk is usually placed in nearly inaccessible 

 places on rocks, sometimes in trees. The eggs are four, variable in co'or, 

 some being white sparingly spotted with light reddish-brown, others with 

 the light color obscured with chocolate brown, and with blotches of still 

 darker brown. Eggs in the same nest sotnelimes present these extremes 

 of coloration. They measure about 2.20 by 1.70. 



Falco columbaeius Linnseus. 



-E*igeon Hawls- 

 Falco coUmbarim, Kirtland, Ohio Goolog. Surv., 18;{8, 161, 178.— Ekad, Family Visitor, 



iii, 1852, 204 ; Proo. Philad. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, lr<53, 395.— Wiieaton, Ohio Agrio. 



Eep. for 1860, 1861, 360 ; Repiiiit, 2 ; l-'ood of Birds, etc., Ohio Agrio. Rep. for 1874, 



1875, 570; Reprint, 10.— Lang Do;f , Cat Birds of Gin., 1877, 12. 

 Hyjpoiriorchis colamiarius, Kikkpatrick, Ohio Farmer, viii, 1858, 387 ; Ohio Agrio. Eep. 



for 1858, 18u9, 347. 

 Falco lilhofaloo, var. columharlus, Langdon, Revised List, Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 



1879, 179; Eepriut, 10. 



Falco columbarius, LiNNiEus, Syst. Nat., i, 1766, 128. 



Sypotriorchis columbarius, Gray, Gen. of Birds. 



Falco lithofalco, var. columbarius, Ridgway, Proc. Bost. Soc, 1673, 46. 



Tarsus scarcely feathered above, vrith the plates in front enlarged, appearing like a 

 double row of alternating scutellee (and often with a few true scutellss at base) ; 1st and 

 2d quill eraarginated on inner web. 



Adult male, above ashy-blue, sometimes almost blackish, sometimes much paler; 

 below pale fulvous or oohraceous, whitish on the throat, the breast and sides with large 

 oblong dark-brown spots with black shaft lines ; the tibiae reddish, streaked with brown ; 

 inner webs of primaries with about eight transverse white or whitish spots ; tail tipped 

 with white, and with the outer feather whitening ; with a broad subterminal black zone 

 and 3-4 black bands alternating with whitish ; cere greenish-yellow, feet yellow. Fe- 

 male with the upper parts ashy-brown; the tail with 4-5 indistinct whitish bands; 

 about, 13 ; wing, 8 ; tail, 5 ; male smaller. 



Habitat, North America, ranging into Mexico, Gentral America and northern portions of 

 South America. Ecuador. Jamaica. 



