346 FALCO COLUMBARIUS, PIGEON HAWK. 



4, jjI. 4, f. 9.— Jard., Ann. N. H. xviii, 118 (Tobago).— Blak., Ibis, iii, 31,5.— 



Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wasb. Ter. 1660, 142.— Coop., B. Cal. i, lt^70, 460.— 



PiiDGw., Pr. Pljila. Acad. 1670, 140.— ? Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, ISO.— 



Codes, Key, 1872, 214. 

 Falco (Hypotriorchis) cohimbarius of many autbors. — Cass., B. N. A. 1858, 9. 

 Tinnuncidu3 columiarius, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1807, pi. 11 ; Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. 



xii, 104 ; Enc. Metb. iii, 1236. 

 Nism columbarius, Cdv. 

 Astiir columbarius, BoiE. 

 Syjiotriorchis columbarius, Gray, Gen. of B. ; List B. Br. JIus. 55. — Bp., Consp. i, 1850, 



26.— WooDH., Sitgr. Rep. 1853,60.— Cass., 111. 1854, 90 (includes next species).— 



Brew., N. A. Oiil. 1'!'.57, 12.— Newb., P. R. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 74.— Heerm., ibid. 



X, 1859, pt. Ti, 31.— DnE.ss,, Ibis, 1865, 323 (Texas).— CouES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 



1866, 42 (Arizona).— Call & Bann., Tr. Cbic. Acad, i, 1869, 270 (Alaska).— 



Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix, 134 (Costa Rica). — Stbv., U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 



1870, 462 — Sxow, B. Kaus. 1873. 

 Hypotriorchis (Lithofalco) columbarius, Bp., Cousp. Av. i, 1850, 26. 

 Hypotriorchis (JEsalon) columbarius, Gray, Hand-list, i, 1869, 21, No. 193. 

 ulSsalov columbarius, Kadp, Jlonog. Falc. Cout. Oru. 18.^0, .54. 

 Falco (JEsalon) lithofalco var. columbarius, RiDGW., Pr. Best. Soc. 1873, 46 (but eo/um- 



barius bas priority).— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 144. 

 Falco intermixtus, Daud., Traits d'Orii. ii, 1800, 141. 



Falco temerarius, AuD., Orn. Blog. i, 1831, 381, pi. 75.— NuTl'., Man. i, 1832, 61. 

 Falco anduboni, "Blackw., Zool. Res. 1834." 

 (?) Falco (Msalon) lithofalco var. suclicyi, RiDGW.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 147 



(nortbwest coast ; raelauotic ; parallel witb case of communis v ai. 2>ealei). 



Hab. — Generally distributed over Nortb America. Ranging into Mexico, Central 

 America, and northern portions of South America. Ecuador (ScL. P. Z. S. 1858, 451). 

 Venezuela (ScL. & S.vLV., P. Z. S. 1869, 252). Cuba(D'ORmG., La Sagra's Cuba, Ois. 23 ; 

 Cab., J. f. O. ii, p. Ixxxiv ; Gdndi,., Rep. 1865, 255). Jamaica (GossE, B. Jam. 1847, 17). 



Late Expeditions. — 6062 1 , Green River. 



In ranging this bird as a variety of the European, Mr. Ridgway has apparently over- 

 looked the fact that " columbarius " has priority over " lithofalco," which latter, in event 

 he proves correct in uniting the two, will be known as F. columbarius var. lithofalco. 

 Considering, however, that in this instance the fact of varietal relationship can hardly 

 be consideied established, and that it is rarely necessary, or even expedient, to ex- 

 change one tentative view for another equally so, I follow the usual course in separat- 

 ing the two birds specifically. Upon similar considerations I retain F. richardsotii as 

 a species until its inter-gradatiou with F. columbarius is proven, although I believe 

 that most probably Mr. Ridgway's later view of its varietal relationship with F. colum- 

 barius is correct. 



I have little to add to the published accounts of this elegant and 

 spirited Hawk, aptly styled " The Little Corporal." It is ;ipparently 

 not common in the interior of the West, and even less so than has been 

 supposed, a part of the quoted instances of its occurrence, like Dr. 

 Hayden's for instance, really referring to the next species, the history 

 of which has only lately beeu disentangled from that of the true Pigeon 

 Hawk. Mr. Dall gives it as resident in Alaska, and notes the fact of 

 its even destroying Ptarmigan, birds much larger than itself — proof, 

 were any needed, of its audacity and prowess. According to Dr. Cooper, 

 it ranges over the whole of California in cold weather, but he never 

 observed it m summer, even in the highest mountains. 



Our accounts of its nidification are defective, and sometimes conflict- 

 ing. It appears to breed chiefly north of the United States, and accord- 

 ing to Hutchins, as rendered in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, it makes 

 a nest on rocks and in hollow trees, of sticks and grass, lined with 

 feathers. Audubon describes a nest he found in Labrador in a low fir 

 tree, ten or twelve feet from the ground, built of sticks, lined with moss 

 and feathers. The bird is unquestionably resident in Northern New 

 England, where Mr. Boardman says it breeds in hollow trees. No 

 authentic instance of its breeding further south has come to my knowl- 

 edge. Mr. Samuels, indeed, in his Catalogue, gives it as resident and 

 breeding in Massachusetts, but this is negatived by his own subsequent 



