Jan., 1922 FROM FIELD-AND STUDY 33 
Monterey huttoni; but both look to me to te smoked. | wouldn’t care to rest the case for 
or against insularis on this scanty material. But before this name is given formal recog- 
nition by the A. O. U. Committee on Nomenclature, perfectly fresh, unfaded material 
should be available in fair quantity.—J. GRINNELL, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berke- 
ley, California, December 5, 1921. 
Some Hawks of Harney Valley, Oregon.—My work in the United States Biological 
Survey has taken me into Harney County, Oregon, several times during the last two 
years. On every visit I have been impressed by the abundance and variety of hawks 
in this district, and I have kept rough notes regarding these birds. A few of these 
notes are presented. In 1919, for a week beginning September 12, there was an amazing 
mixed flight of hawks in which Cooper Hawks, Prairie Falcons, and Duck Hawks were 
conspicuous. During this week, I saw at least a dozen Duck Hawks, more than equal 
to all of my other records. The following notes were made during these trips. 
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura septentrionalis). Turkey Vultures were common 
in the valley, but my attention was particularly drawn to them during August, 1919, 
when trying summer poisons on jack rabbits. Such numbers of vultures, ravens, crows, © 
and magpies descended on the fields where the poisoning operations were carried on as 
to make it necessary to reach there before daylight in order to count the poisoned rab- 
bits. From fifty to one hundred each of ravens and vultures usually arrived by daylight, 
accompanied by several times that number of crows and magpies. 
Marsh Hawk (Circus hudsonius). Marsh Hawks have been common and even 
abundant on each of my visits to the valley. I have often seen them worrying the jack 
rabbits but have yet to see them catch one. 
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter velox). A few of these little hawks were includ- 
ed in the flight of September, 1919. 
Cooper Hawk (Accipiter cooperi). This species was one of the most conspicuous 
in numbers in the September flight mentioned above. Most of those observed were not 
yet in adult plumage. They were astonishingly tame, sitting on fence posts and tele- 
phone poles while we drove by in a car. While the larger hawks frequently do this, my 
previous experience with this species has been entirely to the contrary. 
Western Red-tail (Buteo borealis calurus). This is a common species, found on 
every visit to the valley. 
Swainson Hawk (Buteo swainsoni). This is the most common species in the val- 
ley. On May 24, 1920, twenty-seven Swainson Hawks were counted sitting on the posts 
along one side of a small alfalfa field near Burns. Several had Oregon ground squirrels 
-in their talons and most of them seemed to be resting after a hearty meal. The field 
was swarming with squirrels, and catching all that was necessary for food was appar- 
ently an easy task for these hawks. 
Rough-legged Hawk (Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis). A few of these hawks 
were seen on October 24-30, 1920. Judging from the number observed in adjoining dis- 
tricts during the winter they probably increased considerably later in the season. 
Ferruginous Rough-leg (Archibuteo ferrugineus). On May 24, 1920, Stanley G. 
Jewett and myself saw at close range an adult hawk of this species, the only one noted 
in the valley at any time. 
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Golden Eagles are common in Harney Valley, 
and abundant compared to their number in any other district with which I am familiar. 
I have had as many as five in sight at one time. On September 13, 1919, I watched two 
in pursuit of five Canada Geese. The eagles were considerably behind and high above 
the geese, which were making frantic efforts to reach a pond known as Potter Swamp. 
The eagles were gaining rapidly, but all disappeared over a ridge before the chase was 
finished. A few days after this, three were seen harrying a jack rabbit. which they 
caught and killed; all three were near the dead rabbit when we passed along the road in 
a car. On October 26, 1920, two eagles and a number of magpies were found feeding on 
poisoned rabbits. 
_ Prairie Falcon (Falco meaicanus). This hawk is common in the valley and was 
particularly so during September, 1919. One female followed our car along the road for 
some distance until finally killed by a well-directed shot. Apparently, she was after the 
birds flushed by the car from the sage brush along the road. 
