116 FALCONID.E. 



albidis ; facie lateral! alba, nigro lineata, regiono parotica rufescenti-brunnea ; geiiis rufescentibus nigro 

 striolatis, fasciam latam mystacalem formantibus ; genis anticis et corpora subtus toto albis, gutture 

 immaculato ; gastraeo reliquo maculis longitudinalibus vel cordiformibus notato, hypochondriis tibiisque 

 fere omnino brunneis, rufo notatis et albo fasciatis ; subcaudalibus albis, fere immacnlatis ; subalaribiis 

 albis, nigricanti-brunneo maculatis, tectricibns majoribus brunneis, albo maculatis ; remigibns infra 

 griseo-brnnneis, intus late albo fasciatis : rostro cyauescenti-albo, apicem nigram versus magis cyancscente ; 

 cera et area orbitali nuda viridescenti-albis ; pedibus pallide flavis, vix viridi tinctis ; iride saturate 

 bronnea. Long.tota circa 21-0, alae 14-0, caudsB 8-1, culm. 1-2, tarsi 2-4. (Descr. femina; ex Hermosillo, 

 Sonora. Mus. nostr.) 

 Jwv. adultis simUis, sed not«i plumis rufo distincte marginatis; fascia albida latiore : subtus albus, ocbraceo 

 tinctus, ubique nigro guttulatim notato ; hypochondriis nigrieantibus, albido varicgatis. Long, tota circa 

 18-0, alsB 13-5. (Descr. maris ex Bidwell, California. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. NoETH America, United States, from the eastern border of the plains to the 

 Pacific, from the Dakotas southward, casual eastward to Illinois. — Mexico 

 (Deppe^), Hermosillo in Sonora (Ferrari-Perez), Zacatecas, Aguas Calientes 

 (Ilichardson). 



The Prairie-Falcon, an inhabitant of the plains of the United States, also occm-s in 

 Mexico. We have received examples from Hermosillo, in Sonora, from Mr. Ferrari- 

 Perez, and Mr. Richardson has forwarded others from Aguas Calientes and Zacatecas, 

 the latter obtained in August. As our other Mexican specimens were procured from 

 September to March, the species must either be resident or a very early migrant in 

 that country. 



The nest, according to Bendire *, shows but little attempt at construction, and the 

 eyries generally selected are on the inaccessible ledges or in cavities of perpendicular 

 cliffs ; he records a clutch of five eggs taken by Mr. Bryant at Pine Cafion near Mount 

 Diablo, California, which were laid in a cleft about four feet deep with only a layer of 

 ejected fur and feathers. In many parts of North America the species is comparatively 

 common. 



The bird frequently perches on a dead cotton-wood tree, from which it observes and 

 pounces on its prey. The food consists chiefly of Meadow-Larks, Doves, and other birds, 

 and various small rodents. 



The eggs vary from three to five in number and are paler than those of the Peregrines 

 or Gyr-Falcons; they are creamy-white, with rufous or brown mottlings usually 

 distributed over the whole surface. 



3. Falco rufignlaris. 



Fako rufigularis, Daud. Traite, ii. p. 131 ' ; Salv. Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 501 " ; Chapman, Bull. 



Amer. Mus. viii. p. 286". 

 Hypotriorchis rvfyularis, Gray, Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 390*; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 219'; 



P. Z. S. 1870, p. 838"; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 462'; Mem. Best. Soc. N. H. ii. 



p. 301 ° ; Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 158 » ; 1870, p. 215 " ; Ibis, 1869, p. 319 " ; 1889, p. 375 " ; 



Grayson, Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H. siv. p. 269"; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 457". 

 Falco dlbigularis, Daud. Traite, ii. p. 131 " ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 401 " ; Snmichrast, 



La Nat. v. p. 237 " ; Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. Costa Rica, 1887, p. 125 '^ ; Ridgw. Pr. U. S. 



