RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 201 



For the privilege of including this sub-species among the " Birds 

 ■of Ontario," I am mdebted to the following notice which appears in 

 the .iK/i, Vol. v., page 205 : 



" I have obtained from Mr. J. Dodds, of St. Thomas, Ontario, a 

 fine adult male of the Western Red-tail {Buteo borealis calurus) 

 which was killed near that place in the fall of 1885, by John Oxford, 

 This seems to be the first recorded occurrence of this species in 

 ■Ontario." — W. E. Saunders, London, Ontario. 



Dr. Coues, who is always averse to making too many sub-species, 

 after describing the ordinary Red-tail, says of this subject : " Such 

 is the ordinary Hen-hawk, so abundant in eastern North America, 

 where it is subject to comparatively little variation. In the west, 

 however, where it is equally numerous, it sports almost interminably 

 in color, and not always conformably with geographical distribution. 

 Se^■eral of these phases have received special names as given beyond. 

 I am willing to spread them upon my page, but too much of my life 

 is behind me for me to spend time in such trivial mutabilities." 



As the subject may still be interesting to younger students, I 

 place the record here for their consideration. 



BUTEO LINEATUS (Gmel.). 

 145. Red-shouldered Hawk. (339) 



Four outer primaries emarginate on inner web ; general plumage of tlie adult 

 •of a rich fulvous cast ; above, reddish-brown, the featliers with dark brown 

 ■centres; below, a lighter shade of the same, with narrow dark streaks and 

 white bar.s; quills and tail, blackish, conspicuously banded with pure white; 

 the bend of the wing, orange-brown. Young: — Plain dark brown above; below, 

 white with dark streaks ; quills and tail, barred with whitish. Nearly as long 

 as B. horealis, but not nearly so heavy ; tarsi, more naked. Femcde : — 22 ; wing, 

 14; tail, 9. Male: — 19; wing, 13; tail, 8 (average). 



Hab. — Eastern North' America, west to Texas and the Plains, south to the 

 •Gulf coast and Mexico. 



Nest, in trees, composed of sticks and twigs, lined with grass and a few 

 feathers. 



Eggs, two ^ to four, variable in color, usually dull white, blotched with rich 

 lirown. 



In Southern Ontario this species is a common summer resident, 

 breeding freely in the less settled parts of the country, where it is 

 more frequently seen than any other of the " chicken hawks." 



