NORTHWESTERN MEXICO. 



299 



distance before again alighting. Although its flight is vigorous and quick, and the feet and claws sharp and 

 strong, yet its prey consists of the more humble and weaker creatures of the wood and field, such as lizards, 

 small snakes, field mice, etc. These are indeed his staff of life. But in the general breeding season of birds, 

 when the young are not fully fledged, and are just beginning to try their tender wings from the parent nest, 

 it is then it finds opportunities to change its usual diet of lizards and snakes, to the more tender young birds 

 of any species that may come in his way. He often visits the poultry of the natives and carries off young 

 chickens ; will follow the Chachalaca (or wild tree chicken) and her young brood through the densest woods, 

 in his skulking way, until an opportunity offers to pounce upon one of them, thus keeping the mother con- 

 stantly on the alert ; she will defend her brood with great courage when he makes the attack, but he is often 

 too quick for her vigilance, and carries off one at a time from day to day, until her precious chicks are mostly 

 all devoured by the sly manceuvering of this hawk. The nest is generally placed in the branch of some very 

 thorny acacia, and inaccessible in consequence of the thorns ; it seems to be composed of dry twigs, grass and 

 moss ; incubation takes placQ as early as February and March." 



183. Micrastur semitorquatus (Vieill.). 

 Mazatlan, Grayson. 



"Among the great variety of hawks to be met with in a single day's excursion in the locality of Mazatlan, 

 none are so easily recognized as this peculiar and interesting species. I have only found it in the heavy for- 

 ests, or the immediate vicinity of a thickly wooded country, where its slender form and lengthened tail 

 attracts our attention as it swiftly glides through the tangled woods, with that remarkable ease which we 

 have often noticed in the Sharp-shinned Hawk (A.fuscus). It appears to be strictly arboreal in its habits, and 

 possessed of wonderful activity, either in springing from branch to branch without opening its wings, or rap- 

 idly darting through the intricacies of the brush with apparently but little difiiculty. I have seldom seen one 

 of these hawks in an open country, and have never seen one flying higher than the tree tops, where they are 

 met with. Its wings are rather short, and its flight is performed by rapidly repeated strokes, only for a short 

 distance at a time. It preys upon various species of wood birds, which it captures by darting upon them on 

 the ground or in the bushes ; but the Chachalaca is its favorite game ; this is a gallinaceous bird, or wild 

 chicken, about the size of, or lighter than, the common hen, and is entirely arboreal, seldom running upon 

 the ground, but is able by its peculiarly formed feet to cling to, or spring rapidly through, the thickest 

 branches with great agility ; but this hawk follows it with equal facility, until an opportunity offers to strike 

 its prey, then both come to the ground together, the hawk being the lighter bird. I witnessed a scene of this 

 kind that took place when I was endeavoring to get a shot at a Chachalaca, as it was jumping about the very 

 thick branches of an acacia, overgrown with lianes ; it appeared to be in great distress, uttering its harsh notes 

 of alarm, and spreading its fan-shaped tail ; suddenly I saw one of these hawks pounce upon it, when with 

 harsh screams of terror and pain the Chachalaca dragged his captor to the ground, where they struggled for a 

 few moments, but the unfortunate bird was soon overcome. The struggling and screams of the Chachalaca 

 created a great commotion among the denizens of the woods ; far and near were heard the hnrsh cries of other 

 members of its family, and the Urraca Magpie, with streaming tail and ludicrous gesticulations, as well as the 

 Blue-back Jay, and other birds in the neighborhood, gathered around to witness the scene of rapine ; suddenly 

 appeared in the midst of this clamor a larger hawk {Buteo harrisi Aud.), which rushed at once upon the cap- 

 tor of the Chachalaca; unable to withstand so heavy a charge, he was compelled to give up his honestly cap- 

 tured prey to a superior force, thus proving the old adage that ' might is right.' The slender but compact 

 figure of our present subject was now seen perched upon a neighboring bough, scrutinizing with a vicious eye, 

 the more powerful but less active bird of prey, as he vainly attempted to be.ir off the lifeless form of the 

 Chachalaca; but there was one yet mightiej" than he, I observed it for a few moments, then shot it, as also 

 the Long-tailed Hawk, thus securing all three. 



" They build their nest of dry twigs and moss, which is placed in a very tall tree, but below the higher 

 branches ; the only nest I have seen was inaccessible, therefore I regret that I am unable to describe the eggs." 



184. Geranospiza gracilis var. niger (Dubus). 

 Mazatlan, Grayson. 



"Among the great variety of the family of this region, this one seems to be the most delicately and feebly 

 formed as well as the rarest. I have never been able to procure but two specimens, which I found near fresh 



