280 FALCON. 



225— SLATE-COLOURED FALCON. 



Falco pennsylvanicus, Slate-coloured Hawk, Am. Orn. vii, pi. 46. f. 1. 



THIS is 11 in. long, atid 31 in extent of Aving, Bill blue- 

 black ; cere and sides of the mouth, dull green ; eyelids yellow ; 

 irides fiery orange ; plumage above fine slate-colour ; primaries 

 ]>rown-black, and, as well as the secondaries, barred with dusky ; 

 scapulars spotted white and brown ; shafts of all the feathers of the 

 upper parts black ; tail slightly forked, brownish ash-colour, crossed 

 with fovir broad bands of black, tipped with white, and is three 

 inches longer than the wings ; over the eye a dull white sti'eak ; chin 

 white, marked with fine black hairs ; breast and bellv Yaries,ated 

 with ferruginous and transverse spots of white ; thighs the same ; 

 vent pure white ; legs long, v^ry slender, rich orange yellow ; claws 

 black, large, and remarkably sharp ; in the figure, I observe the 

 same lobes on the under part of the toes as in the last species^ though 

 omitted in the description. 



Inhabits Pennsylvania, and the Atlantic States generally ; the 

 one from which this description was taken, was shot in the neighbour- 

 hood of Philadelphia. It certainly seems much allied to the Sharp- 

 shinned, or last species, but is considered in the Amer. Omith. as 

 distinct. The above described was a male. 



