1911] Swarth: Alaska Expedition of 1909. 63 



birds were met with wherever we went, tame and unsuspicious 

 as a rule, and easily approached. Early in August the old birds 

 began to molt, becoming very ragged, and showing gaps in 

 wings and tail as they circled overhead. 



Falco columbarius columbarius Linnaeus. Pigeon Hawk. 



At Three-mile Arm, Kuiu Island, April 25 to May 6, a 

 pigeon hawk was seen almost daily, and on May 3 Hasselborg 

 found a nest that appeared to belong to this bird, for it remained 

 near by. The nest, empty at the time, was built in a spruce tree, 

 in the angle formed by the junction of a limb with the trunk, and 

 was about thirty-five feet from the ground. This hawk was 

 seen at various times in pursuit of small waders and of robins. 



The species was not met with again until we reached Thomas 

 Bay, where, on August 18, a single bird was secured. At Port 

 Snettisham two were shot on August 24 and 27, respectively. 

 On the Taku River pigeon hawks were more numerous, for at 

 least eight or nine were seen during the time we spent there, and 

 one was secured on September 26. One was seen here in the 

 blue-backed, adult plumage, but he was too wary to be 

 approached. 



Of the four secured three had the remains of spotted sand- 

 pipers in their stomachs, while the fourth contained a finch, 

 probably a Zonotrichia. 



The four specimens obtained (nos. 9780-9783) are all females, 

 and probably all immatures in their first winter plumage. They 

 are distinctly referable to columbarius rather than to suckleyi, 

 which might be supposed to be the form occurring in this region. 

 Compared with winter specimens of colwmbarius from southern 

 California they are somewhat darker dorsally, being rather 

 sooty where the latter are earthy brown, but there is little or 

 no difference in the intensity or amount of the dark markings 

 below. 



Falco sparverius sparverius Linnaeus. 

 American Sparrow Hawk. 



A female secured on the Taku River on September 16 was: 

 the only one of the species seen. This bird was observed at the 



