1871.] 269 [Grayson. 



it was endeavoring to capture a sparrow hawk (Falco sparverius) and 

 had I not stopped him with a lucky shot, the little fellow would have 

 most probably made a breakfast for his more powerful antagonist. 

 This is another instance which I have frequently witnessed of the 

 indifference or impartiality shown by this hawk in the selection of 

 the game he pursues. It attacks with vigor every thing it sees upon 

 the wing, from the size of a mallard duck down, and is the terror of 

 all small birds. The range of this daring falcon, like the Peregrine, 

 must be very extensive, as it often ventures far out to sea. On a 

 passage from Mazatlan to San Francisco, in 1858, on the bark Car- 

 lota, one of these falcons came to us, more than a hundred miles off 

 the coast of Lower California, and took up his quarters upon the 

 main-yard, or mast-head ; it remained with us two days, during this 

 time it captured at least a dozen dusky petrels. It was a fine sight 

 to see him dart headlong upon these unsuspecting wanderers of 

 the deep, seldom missing his aim ; he would then return to his usual 

 resting place and partly devour his prize. At other times he would 

 let them drop in the sea, after they were dead, seemingly in wanton 

 sport. He finally became tired of this kind of game, and after mak- 

 ing several wide circles around our ship, and ascending to a consider- 

 able height, took his departure in the direction of the shores of 

 Mexico." 



6. Tinnunculus sparverius (Linn.). "The Sparrow Hawk ; 

 Gavilancillo." 



"This common species is also found on the Tres Marias. Its geo- 

 graphical distribution is the entire continent of America." 



7. Hypotriorchis columbarius (Linn.). "Pigeon Hawk; 

 Gavilan." 



"The Pigeon hawk is -eery common upon the Islands where it finds 

 an abundance of small birds, pigeons, robins, etc., to satiate its 

 appetite. 



8. Hypotriorchis r lingular is (Daud.); (aurantius 

 Temm). 



"The year preceding my visit to these Islands, while in camp near 

 the foot of the Sierra Madre mountains, not far from the mining town 

 of Parnico, in the State of Sinaloa, I met with two small falcons, the 

 smallest I had ever seen, which in their movements upon the wing 

 reminded me of the Peregrine falcon. They were very small indeed, 

 seemed to be but little larger than the large swift (Cypselus) found in 

 this country, and the motions of their wings were apparently as 



