68 FALCONIDJi. 



In many parts of Canada and the United States the Eed-shouldered Buzzard is 

 common, and its habits are similar to those of the Ked-tailed Buzzard {B. borealis). 

 Like the last-named species, it seldom attacks poultry, but feeds largely on mice and 

 other small mammals, reptiles, frogs, and insects. The nest is smaller than that of 

 B. borealis, and consists of twigs with a lining of leaves. The eggs are usually three 

 in number, but four, five, and six are occasionally found ^. 



It breeds on the coast of Oregon southward to Lower California. 



Section D. Minores. Alee remigihus eosternis tribus in pogonio interno excisis. 



9. Buteo swainsoni. 



Falco buteo, Aud. Birds N. Am. t. 373 (nee Linn.) '. 



Buteo swainsoni, Bp. Comp. List, p. 3 ' ; Cassin, in Baird's Birds N. Am. p. 19, 1. 13 ' ; Duges, La 



Nat. i. p. 138 ' ; Salvin, Ibis, 1875, pp. 372, 377 ' ; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 176, 320 " ; 



Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. Birds, p. 236, t. 8. ff. 1-6'; Cherrie, Auk, 1892, p. 328"; 



Fisher, Bull. U. S. Dep. Agr. no. 3, p. 72, t. 9 ' ; Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. v. 



p. 34 " ; A. O. U. Check-i. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 132 ". 

 Buteo insignatus, Cassin, Birds Cal. & Texas, p. 102, t. 31 "; Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 285"; Scl. & 



Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 216'*. 

 Buteo obsoletus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 184 (uec Gm.) ". 

 Buteo albonotatus, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. p. 133 (nee Gray) '°. 



Saturate brunneus, teetricibus alarum dorso concoloribus ; remigibus nigris, intus cinerascentibus, fasciis 

 nigris indistincte indicatis ; supracaudalibus lateralibus albo nigroque fasciatis, et rufo tinctis ; reotricibus 

 cinerascenti-bninneis, anguste albo tenninatis, et fasciis 10-11 nigricantibus notatis, fascia obscura 

 subterminali latiore ; loris albicantibus ; facie laterali nigricanti-brunnea ; genis nigris ; gula pure alba, 

 anguste nigro striata ; gutture imo, praepectore et pectore summo cinerascenti-bruniieis, rufo adurobratis ; 

 pectore imo et gastraeo reliquo albicantibus, fasciis aut maculis sagittiformibus brunneis vel cinnamomeis 

 notatis ; subcaudalibus fere immaculatis ; rostro nigricanti-plumbeo, mandibula flavicante ; cera et pedibus 

 flavis, unguibus nigris ; iride brunnea. Long, tota circa IT'S, alae 14*6, caudse 6*8, tarsi 2-5. (Descr. 

 feminsB ex Dueiias, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



S . Feminse similis, sed plaga praepectorali cinnamomea nee brunneseente ; gula omnino alba. Long, tota 

 circa IB'O, alae 15-2. (Descr. maris ex Long Coteau River, Dakota. Mus. nostr.) 



cJ juv. Brunneus ; loris, fronte basali et superciliis albis ; capite et cervice fere albis, brunneo longitndinaUter 

 striatis : subtus albus, praepectoris lateribus brunneo maculatis, pectore ipso anguste brunneo striolato : 

 hypochondriis brunneo fasciatim notatis. Ala 14-9. (Descr. maris ex Baltazar, Puebla. Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. Western N. America, from Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas, and Texas to the 

 Pacific coast, north to the Arctic regions ^^. — Mexico {Salle ^^), Fronteras 

 {F. Bobinette ^°), Guanajuato, Guadalajara (Buges*), VaUey of Mexico (Herrera^), 

 San Baltazar in Puebla (Ferrari-Perez); Gqatemala, Duenas (0. S.^^); Costa Kica, 

 San Jose [Carmiol ^^, Cherrie ^), Tucurriqui [Arce). — South America generally, from 

 Colombia to Patagonia i^, Masafuera I.^. 



The variations in plumage undergone by this species are remarkable. The adult 

 males may be distinguished by their cinnamon-coloured chest, as figured by Dr. A. K. 

 Fisher ^. The females are rather larger, and have a darker under surface than the 



