250 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
distinct grayish, buffy, or ochraceous spots, and general color 
of plumage darker. 
é. Inner webs of quills distinctly barred or transversely spotted 
with whitish ; tail-bands distinct, in both sexes, at all stages. 
Adult female and young with whitish or buffy prevailing on 
lower parts. Male: Length about 10.00-11.00, wing 7.40- 
7.80 (7.65), tail 4.65-5.20 (4.87), culmen .48-.50, tarsus 1.30- 
1.40, middle toe 1.15-1.25. Female: Length about 12.50- 
13.25, wing 8.35-8.60 (8.50), tail 5.30-5.50 (5.38), culmen 
.55-.60, tarsus 1.55-1.60, middle toe 1.35. Mest very va- 
riously situated (in cavity of cliff or in hollow of tree, 
on branches of trees, ete.). Eggs 2-4, 1.59 x 1.24, usually 
more or less spotted or blotched with deep rusty brown, 
hazel-brown, or cinnamon, on a paler (sometimes buffy 
whitish) ground-color. Hab. Whole of North America, 
breeding chiefly north of United States; south, in win- 
ter, to West Indies, Middle America, and northern South 
America....... 357. F. columbarius Linn. Pigeon Hawk. 
é. Inner webs of quills not distinctly barred or spotted, and tail- 
bands, except whitish tip, indistinct, or obsolete. Adult 
Female and young : Above plain blackish brown ; lower parts 
very heavily marked with dusky. (Adult male unknown.) 
Male: Wing 7.35-7.70, tail 5.25-5.60, culmen .48-.50, tarsus 
1.30-1.45, middle toe 1.20. Female: Wing 8.25-8.50, tail 
5.70-5.80, culmen .55-.60, tarsus 1.50-1.60, middle toe 1.35- 
1.40. Hab. Northwest coast, from northern California (in 
winter) to Sitka. 
357a. F. columbarius suckleyi Ripew. Black Merlin. 
d’. Middle tail-feathers crossed by (altogether) five darker and six 
lighter bands; outer webs of quills distinctly spotted with light 
grayish in adult male, and buffy or ochraceous in adult female 
and young, and general plumage paler. Adulé male: Above 
pale bluish gray (top of head usually more or less tinged with 
light rusty or ochraceous); tail crossed, on middle feathers, by 
five blackish and six light bluish gray (or five bluish gray and 
one white—terminal) bands, the lighter ones often clouded or 
mixed with white; outer webs of quills distinctly spotted with 
light grayish ; wing 7.70-8.05 (7.94), tail 4.90-5.30 (5.11), culmen 
.50-.60, tarsus 1.42-1.55, middle toe 1.20-1.30. Adult female: 
Above rather light earthy brown, more or less distinctly barred 
or transversely spotted with a lighter shade; tail crossed, on 
middle feather, by six very distinct and entirely continuous 
narrow bands of buffy whitish; secondaries distinctly banded 
with ochraceous, and outer webs of quills distinctly spotted 
with a lighter tint of the same; length about 12.00-13.50, wing 
