66 



THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF TItE UNITED STATES. 



fierceness towards strangers, although it was never vicious towards its 

 owner. When no other person was ijresent it would alight on its 

 owner's shoulder and show signs of contentment and pleasure by utter- 

 ing a low musical note and by caresses, which consisted iu gently pass- 

 ing his ear or a look of hair between its bill very much as it did its 

 own feathers in the act of pluming itself. 



The flight of this Hawk, especially that of the immature birds, is 

 heavy in character and suggests that of the owls. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Outer web of outer wing feathers distinctly spotted with white, buffy, 

 or yellowish. Shoulders always more or less rusty. 



Adult. — Head, neck, and lower parts more or less rusty or ciu'namon, 

 transversely spotted or barred with whitish; tail black, crossed by 

 about six bands of white. Above reddish brown, the center of the 

 feathers dark-er than the edges. 



Immature. — Lower parts dull whitish, longitudinally sijotted or 

 streaked with dark brown; tail dusky, crossed by numerous narrow 

 bands of dull buffy or grayish brown. 



Length: 17.50 to 22 inches (445 to 559""") ; extent, 39 to 44 inches 

 (990 to 1117"'"); wing, 11.25 to 14.25 inches (285 to 362'"'"); tail, 8 to 

 10 inches (203 to 254-"™). 



Table showing the results of examinations of Z20 stomachs of the Bed-shouldered Hawk 



{Buteo lineatus). 



