126 FALCONID^. 



Long, tota circa 22-5, alse 162, caadae 8-9, culm, cum cera 1'9, tarsi 3-6. (Descr. maris ex Corpus Christi, 



Texas. Mus. nostr.) 

 2 ad. mari similis. Long, tota circa 21-5, alae 15-2. 

 Juv. Brunneus, interscapnlii plumis et tectrioibus alarum albido medialiter striatis et saturate brunneo apicem 



versus lineatis ; remigibus et rectricibus fere ut in adultis coloratis : facie laterali et gutture toto 



oohrascenti-fulvis ; plaga pectorali mfescente, plumis longitudinaliter fulvo striatis ; eorpore reUquo 



subtus rufescenti-brunneo, rufo laetius striolato ; abdomine albo et subcaudalibus quoque albis. (Descr. 



exempl. juv. ex San Antonio, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 

 PuU. duvedine fusco indutus, subtus magis cinerascens ; area alari et hypochondriarum lateribus saturate 



brunneis ; collo undique cum regione seapulari et gutture toto cervinis. (Descr. exempl. ex Mazatlan. 



Mus. nostr.) 



ffab. North America, Southern States from Florida to Texas and Lower California. — 

 Mexico {Bullock^^), Hot and temperate regions of both Coasts (Sumichrast^), 

 Guaymas (Jielding ^), Presidio de Mazatlan (Forrer), Mazatlan {Bischoff^, Gray- 

 son 31), Hacienda Angostura in San Luis Potosi, Jalisco {Jouy i^), Guanajuato, 

 Guadalajara {Duges ^^), Santana near Zapotlan [Lloyd], Colima (Xantus ^^), 

 Mirador (Sartorius *), Zacatecas, Tampico [Bichardson), Monterey {Couch *), 

 VaUey of Mexico {Herrera i^), Jalapa {de Oca ^^, Chapman ^% Orizaba {Botteri^^), 

 Llano de San Baltazar i^, Parada {Ferrari-Perez), Merida in Yucatan {Schott ^^, 

 Salazar^, Gaumer), Izamal {Gaumer) ; Guatemala {Constancia% Duenas ^3, 

 Escuintla, San Jose de Guatemala {0. S. & F. B. G.), San Geronimo {Owen ^5) ; 

 Honduras, San Pedro {Whitely^^); Nicaragua, Chinandega {Hopkins, in U. S. 

 Nat. Mus. 4), San Juan del Sur ^, Sucuya i" {Nutting) ; Costa Rica {v. Frantzius ^% 

 San Jose {Carmiol ^'', Cherrie ^^), Alajuela {Zeledon i^). — South America, northern 

 portion from Ecuador ^ to Guiana ^. 



This species breeds in the Southern United States and throughout the greater part 

 of Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua ; but in Yucatan, according to Graumer ', it is 

 somewhat scarce, and though also found in Costa Rica, we have no record of its 

 breeding there. 



In many of its habits, P. cheriway resembles the Turkey Vultures, and, like the 

 latter, is a useful scavenger, devouring offal and carrion, also eating lizards, snakes, 

 birds, frogs, crabs, small rodents, and sometimes pursuing full-grown hares. The bird 

 runs rapidly and strikes its prey with its feet, after the manner of a Cariama or a 

 Secretary-bird i^. When in search of food, the Caracara is by no means shy, but 

 at other times is difficult of approach. It has a powerful flight and will often attack 

 birds larger than itself, occasionally even forcing Pelicans to disgorge their prey. 



The nest, composed of twigs, reeds, and coarse grass, lined with leaves, cotton, and 

 moss, and having a small cavity, is placed in low bushes on the bare plains, or in other 

 localities in trees at a height of forty or fifty feet from the ground. Bendire records 

 that the eggs, varying from three to five in number, are laid at intervals of several 

 days, and according to locality, from February to April ; their ground-colour is white, 

 overlaid with rufous and spotted or blotched with brown and purple. 



