84 HAWAIIAN BIRDS. 



ward sides of Hawaii, than light ones. I believe that not more 

 than twenty-five per cent of the hawks on this side of the island 

 are of the light phase. 



Description. — Adult. Dark phase; Above and below blackish brown; 

 feathers on throat and sides of head edged with rusty; rectrices with 

 seven or eight zigzag black bars; interspaces ashy brown; inner webs of 

 quills and secondaries white, barred with blackish brown. Legs greenish 

 yellow; bill bluish black, plumbeus at base of lower mandible; eyris dark 

 hazel. 



The juvenile plumage of this phase is blackish brown afiove (though 

 not so black as in adult) ; feathers of head and occiput edged with buff; 

 chin, throat and breast buff deepening on sides, belly and tibiae into 

 ochraceus, the feather of these parts with terminal shaft-streaks of dusky 

 brown; belly and sides streaked with blackish brown; thighs and tibiae 

 barred with same; tail and wings much as in adult. 



Adult. Light phase: ffead and hind neck light buff, streaked with 

 dark brown ; rest of upper parts dark brown ; the upper tail-coverts wash- 

 ed with buffy the tertiaries and wing-coverts edged with buff and white ; 

 tail ashy brown with more or less distinct dark brown bearings. Under 

 parts buff, deepest on belly and thighs, with a few indistinct brown shaft- 

 streaks on sides. Eyris light hazel. 



The juvenile plumage of this phase is dusky brown above, feathers, 

 head, hind heck, sides of neck and wing-coverts with buff margins ; under 

 parts white with strong buffy tinge on sides of body where streaked with 

 brown; thighs and tibiae barred with same; eyris light hazel. 



Length of adult male, about isyi inches ; of adult female, about i8 inches. 



Circus hudsonius (Linn.). Marsh Hawk. 



I am not aware that there is any direct evidence of the occur- 

 rence of this species outside of Oahu, where several specimens 

 have been obtained at different times. Nevertheless a recent visit 

 to Oahu and much inquiry among sportsmen and others leads the 

 writer to think that the specimens above alluded to were but cas- 

 ual visitors, and that the marsh hawk is not now, and never has 

 been, a regular resident of the island. 



Dole's Accipiter Hawaii is simply the Buteo solitarius as is 

 shown under the heading of the following bird. 



It is to be remembered that the marsh hawk would prove a wel- 

 come resident of the islands, especially of Hawaii, in which island 

 there are immense tracts where this hawk should thrive and mul- 



