FALCON. 



257 



hazel ; plumage above brown black, slightly dashed with white ; 

 front white ; nape of the neck white imder the surface ; the whole 

 lower parts black, Avith slight tinges of brown, and a few circular 

 touches of the same on the thighs; the five first prime quills wliite on 

 their inner webs ; tail rounded at the end, deep black, crossed with 

 five narrow white bands, and broadly tipped with dull white ; vent 

 black, spotted with white, inside webs of the primaries white ; legs 

 feathered to the toes, black, touched with brownish ; claws black, 

 strong, sharp ; toes remarkably short. 



Inliabits America, found fi'equently along the marshy shores of 

 the large rivers ; feeds on mice, fi'ogs, and moles ; sails much, and 

 sometimes to a great height ; has been seen to kill a duck on the 

 wing ; is remarkable for the great size of its eye, length of wing, 

 and shortness of the toes ; likewise the uncommon breadth of its 

 head. 



This, the author of Amer. Ornith. suspects, may be allied to the 

 Chocolate Falcon. The place or manner of breeding miknown. 



A.— Black Hawk variet)-, Am. Orn. 6. pi. 53. f. 2. 



This bird is 20in. in length, and in extent 4ft. The head above 

 white, streaked black and light brown ; along the eyebrows a black 

 line; cheeks streaked like the head, the neck with black and reddish 

 brown, on a pale yellowish white ground; parts above brown black, 

 dashed with brownish wliite and pale ferruginous ; tail white for half 

 its length, ending in brown, marked with one or two bars of dusky, 

 and a large bar of black, tipped with dull white ; wings as in the 

 preceding bird ; throat and breast brownish yellow, dashed with 

 black ; belly beautifully variegated with spots of white and ferru- 



VOL. I. L 1. 



