FALCONIDiE, DIUENAL BIEDS OF PEEY. GEN. 159. 215 



10-11; wing 7; tail 5, more or less. North America, everywhere, very 

 abundant. This elegant little hawk will be immediately recognized by its 

 small size, and entirely peculiar coloration, although the plumage varies 

 almost interminablj'. However the case may l^e with the AVest Indian and 

 other exotic forms, no races have been discovered 

 in this country suiEciently marked to require 

 designation by name. But we may, perhaps, 

 with Mr. Eidgway (Proc. Phila. Acad. 1870, 

 149), recognize var. isabelUnus, as a Middle 

 American coast form occurring in the Gulf States, 

 although of coiu'se it shades directly into the 

 ordinary plumage (no rufous on crown ; several 

 lateral tail feathers variegated, the black zone an """'•"'■ ''""'"™"' ""'"'• 



inch wide ; black spots on back and sides very sparse ; breast ochraceous ; 

 $ with the black bars above unusuall^^ broad, upon a ferrugineous ground). 

 WiLS., ii, 117, pi. IG, f. 1 ; iv, 57, pi. 32, f. 2 ; Ncjtt., 1,^58 ; Aud., i, 90, 



pi. 22; Cass, in Bd., 13; Coop., 462 sparveuius. 



r. U-'f Femoral Falcon. Ash^'-brown or pale slate, accordi]ig to age; forehead 

 t and superciliary line Avhite, deepening to orange-])rowu ou the auriculars ; 

 two ashy stripes ou side of head ; wings aud tail with numerous white liars ; 

 under wing coverts bufly with numerous black spots ; throat and breast white 

 or tawny ; belly with a broad black zone ; tibial and crissum orange-browu. 

 Length 15 or more ; wing lOJ ; tail 7^. A widely distributed South and 

 Central American species, reaching just over our Mexican border ; it belongs 

 to the same section of the genus as the sparrow hawk, but is not at all like 

 this or any of the foregoing species. Cass, in Bd., 11, pi. 1 ; Dressee, Ibis, 

 1865,333; Coues, Proc. Phila. Acad. 18G6, 42; Coop., 461. femoralis. 



159. Genus BUTEO Cuvier. 



* Five outer primaries emarghiate on inner web ; bill high ; nostrils oval, hori- 

 zontal, with eccentric tubercle ; feet robust. (Subgenus Craxirex.) 



2 1^^ J^o^'ris' Buzzard. Dark chocolate-brown, nearly- uniform ; wing coverts 

 and tibiffi brownish-red ; upper tail coverts, base and tip of tail, white ; 

 young duller brown, varied with fulvous; $ nearly 24; wing 15; tail 10; 

 ^ smaller. A South and Central American species, reaching our Gulf 

 border. Very ditferent from any of the following species ; approaching the 

 Polybori in habits. Aud., i, 25, pi. 5 ; Bd., 46. unicinctus var. haeeisii. 

 ** Foxir outer primaries emarginate on inner web. 



ILl'', Cooper^ s Buzzard. Very pale; below, pure white, the tibiaa tawny, the 

 throat, breast and flanks with a few dark streaks ; a blackish patch on under 

 wing coverts ; crown and hind neck with the feathers largely white at base, 

 with dark tips aud streaks; ujiper tail coverts white, rufous-tinged, dark- 

 barred ; tail mostly white, with ashy clouding, marked with rufous and 

 darker in letigthivise pattern, and with dark sabterminal zone ; back dark 

 brown with an ashy shade ; 21 J ; wing 15 ; tail 9. Santa Clara Co., Cala. ; 



