142 
ZOOLOGY. 
Family FALCONIDAE. The Falcons. 
Sub-family FALCONINAE. True Falcons. 
FALCO NIGRICEPS, C as sin. 
The Western Duck Hawk. 
Fako niyriceps, Cassin, Birds of Cal. and Tex., I, p. 87, (1853.) — Ib. in Gilliss' U. S. Astron. Exped , 11,(1866,) 
pi. xiv. — Baied & Cassin, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 8. 
Sp. Ch. — Above bluish cinereous, narrowly banded with black ; below reddish, with circular spots, and bands of black on 
sides. Crown and cheeks nearly black. Female : length 15 to 17^- inches ; wing, 11 to 12 ; tail, 6 to 6^. 
Younger : above dark brown ; tail barred with rufous on inner webs ; beneath reddish yellow, with broad stripes of black. 
Adult : resembling the common duck hawk of the eastern coast, (F. anatum,) but smaller, and with the bill disproportion- 
ately weaker. Head and neck above black, and a large black space on cheeks. 
Specimen No. 8501, original No. 63. Dimensions when fresh : Length, 17.25 ; extent, 39.50. Iris hazel, bill whitish 
blue, feet yellow, Plate xi (birds) represents this specimen. 
Of the western duck hawk I have seen only two pairs, which, in March, 1854, frequented a 
high wooded cliff at Shoalwater bay. Often as I passed underneath they would fly round over 
my head, and I succeeded in shooting two of them, which were marked exactly alike. The 
other two, from their larger size, I supposed were females, and they soon after left the 
neighborhood. I supposed from their keeping about the same spot that they intended to build ' 
there. — C. 
In the summer of 1856 Mr. George Gibbs, of Steilacoom, W. T., presented me with a 
specimen of this bird, killed near his farm. This was forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution 
museum. I know nothing respecting its habits. — S. 
FALCO COLUMBARIUS, Linnaeus. 
The Pigeon Hawk. 
Falco columbarius, Linn. Syst. Nat., I, 128, (1776.) — Wilson, Am. Orn, II, pi. xv, fig. 3. — Baied & Cassin, Gen. 
Eep. Birds, p. 9. 
Falco columbarius and iermerarius, AuD. B. of An., pi. Ixxii and xcii ; oct. ed. I, pi. xxi. 
Hypotriorchis columbarius, Newberry, P. E. R. Rep , vol. VI, p. 74, (Birds.) 
Sp. Ch — Small and stout in form ; above bluish slate color, with black lines ; beneath pale yellowish or reddish white, 
each feather with a black stripe. Tail with one wide dark band, and several (about three) narrower bands of black. 
Younger : dusky or light brown ; sometimes with ferruginous markings ; beneath dull white, with light brown stripes. 
Tail p<ale brown, with about six white bands. 
Young: brownish black, the white parts dusky, stripes wider, sides with black bands and white spots; quills and tail 
nearly black, the tail with about four white bands, or unspotted. 
No. 4476, adult female. Straits of Fuca, April, 1855. Length, 12. 50 ; extent, 27 inches. 
No. 4475, adult male, Santa Clara, Cal., November, 1855. Length, 11.75; extent, 23.50. 
No. 4477, young male, Shoalwater bay, August, 1855. Length, 10. 25 ; extent, 22. 50. 
Iris brown, bill bluish black, cere and feet yellow, in all the specimens. 
The pigeon hawk seems to be rather uncommon in the Territory. I shot one in June, 1853, 
and did not see another until April, 1855, when they had just arrived at the Straits of De 
Fuca. I was surprised one day by an unusual screaming of some bird close to the house, and 
^ going out I found that one of these hawks had just caught an unfortunate flicker^ \yhich 
probably feared no assault from a bird no larger than itself. Its weight brought the hawk to 
the ground, where I immediately shot it. On picking it up the flickei-, though unhurt either 
