MARSH HAWK. 5 I 



The black and brown phases of plumage worn by this bird have 

 caused the scientific ornithologists no little perplexity, and been the 

 subject of some controversy; so a brief summary of the various 

 opinions held may serve as an illustration of the evolution of many 

 scientific names. 



The species was first described from a specimen in brown plu- 

 mage and given the name it now bears ; then a young bird came 

 into the hands, of another systematist, and supposing it to be a new 

 species, he named it B. oxypterus; and afterwards an example in 

 black was taken by still another, who supposed it to be something 

 new, feo he wrote it down B. fulii^inosus. These two last-men- 

 tioned were disposed of by other writers as synonyms of swain- 

 soni, oxypterus being considered the young plumage, and fuligi- 

 nosus a melanistic phase, while in several more recent works the 

 latter, as the Little Black Hawk, was restored to specific rank. 

 These opinions have recently been abandoned for that which has 

 been held for a long time by the few, — that both fuliginosus and 

 oxypterus are synonyms of the present species. 



It cannot, however, be said that the matter is finally adjusted, for 

 the black color still presents this problem : Is it individual or sex- 

 ual, — a melanistic phase, or the normal color of the adult male ? 



The bird is entirely tropical in its range, and is found within the 

 United States only in the tropical portions of Florida. It was sup- 

 posed formerly to occur there merely as a casual or accidental 

 straggler ; but recent observations have proved it to be a regular 

 though uncommon visitor, and breeding there. 



MARSH HAWK. 



marsh harrier. blue hawk. 



Circus hudsonius. 



Char. Adult male : above, bluish gray ; tail with dark bands ; rump 

 white; beneath white. Adult female and young: above, dark brown 

 streaked with rufous ; tail with dark bands ; rump white ; beneath, tawny 

 with dark streaks. Length 19 to 24 inches. 



Nest. On the ground, in damp meadow or cedar swamp ; a loosely 

 arranged platform of dried grass some four to six inches high, with little 

 depression, occasionally lined with softer material. 



Eggs. 3-8 ; bluish white, sometimes spotted with buiBsh or brown ; 

 1.80 X 1.40. 



