44 FALCONID^. 



Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui (Arce^^), Lion Hill (M'Leannan^ ^'^).—Cvba; 

 Bahama Is. 



The Marsh-Hawk, under which name this Harrier is well known in North America, 

 has a very wide range over that continent, the area occupied during the breeding- 

 season embracing even the Arctic regions. In winter it is found as far north as 

 39° N. lat., east of the Eocky Mountains, and up to 46° on the Pacific coast 2*. In 

 Mexico and Central America it occurs chiefly as a winter visitor, though a small 

 number may remain to breed, as we have record of a bird killed as late as May 3rd at 

 La Noria in the State of Sinaloa, at which time many northern birds had commenced 

 their breeding-season. In Cuba it is also migratory, appearing abundantly in the 

 winter months, when birds in immature plumage are seen much more frequently than 

 adults. 



In Guatemala Circus hudsonius is by no means a rare bird, and individuals may 

 frequently be seen in open country, and especially in marshy tracts, flying in wide curves 

 near the ground in search of food. Females and young birds are much more frequently 

 seen than males, which are comparatively rarely met with. 



In Costa Eica this Harrier is tolerably common from the beginning of October till 

 the end of February. 



Its habits have been very fully described in works on North American ornithology, 

 the most recent being those of Capt. Bendire^^ and Dr. Fisher ^3. The last-mentioned 

 author gives an analysis of the food of a large, number of individuals, from which it 

 appears that more than half of its diet consists of mice and other small mammals ; a 

 much smaller number of birds are eaten, and reptiles and frogs and some insects are 

 also consumed. Its nest is built on the ground, usually in marshy places, and the 

 number of eggs in a nest varies from three to as many as eight. They are white, with 

 a greenish inner lining, and with spots and blotches of pale reddish-brown on the 

 outer surface. 



Subfam. ACCIPITRINM 



Dr. Coues defines this subfamily as follows : — " General form strict, with small head, 

 shortened wings, and lengthened tail and legs. Tarsi approximately equal to the tibia 

 in length. Bill short, robust, high at the base ; toothless, but with a prominent 

 festoon ; no central tubercle in the broadly oval nostril, nor keel of the palate anteriorly. 



Superciliary shield prominent Wings concavo-convex, the 3rd to 6th quills 



longest, the 1st very short and more or less bowed inwards, the outer 3 to 5 emargi- 

 nate or sinuate on the inner webs. Tail quite long, square or rounded [at the end], 

 sometimes emarginate, nearly equalling the wings in length. Tarsi slender, longer 

 than the middle toe without claw, usually extensively if not completely denuded of 

 feathers and scutellate before and behind." Dr. Coues treats of two genera only, 



