FALCONID^ — FALCONINJE : FALCONS. 
537 
ited little falcon, generally distributed in N. Am., common, representing the merlin of 
Europe, F. oesalon. Nests chiefly northerly, on l)ranches or in holes in trees, or on rocks; 
eggs ranging in size and shape from 1.50 to 1.80 X 1-30, some being subspherical, others elon- 
gate-oval. The coloration ranges from a nearly uniform deep rich brown (chestnut or burnt 
sienna), to whitish or white, only marked with a few indistinct dots of dull grayish or drab. 
Such extremes are connected by every degree ; a yellowish -brown ground-color, irregularly 
splashed with rich ruddy brown, is the usual style. The markings may be very evenly dis- 
tributed, or mostly gathered in a wreath around one or the other end, or even both ends. The 
quarry is chiefly birds, even up to the size of a ptarmigan. 
506. F. c. suckleyi? (To Dr. Geo. Suckley.) A dark form, described from the N. W. coast. 
Dubious. 
507. F. c. rich'ardsoni. (To Sir J. Richardson.) Richardson's Pigeon Hawk. American 
Merlin. Adult ^ ) Upper plumage, duU earth-brown, each feather grayish-umber cen- 
trally, and with a conspicuous black shaft-line. Head above, approaching ashy-white ante- 
riorly, the black shaft-streaks being very conspicuous. Secondaries, primary-coverts, and 
primaries, margined terminally with dull white ; the primary- coverts with two transverse 
series of pale ochraceous spots ; primaries, with spots of the same, corresponding with those 
of the inner webs. Upper tail coverts, tipped and spotted beneath the surfc\ce with white. 
Tail, clear drab, much lighter than the primaries, but growing darker terminally, having 
basally a slightly ashy cast, crossed with f>,ix sharply defined perfectly continuous bands (the 
last terminal) of ashy- white. Head frontally, laterally, and beneath — a collar round the nape 
(interrupting the brown above) — and entire lower parts, white, somewhat ochraceous, this 
most perceptible on the tibiae ; cheeks and ear-coverts with sparse, fine, hair-like streaks of 
black ; nuchal collar, jugulum, breast, abdomen, sides, and flanks, with a median linear stripe 
of clear ochre-brown on each feather ; these stripes broadest on the flanks ; each stripe with a 
conspicuous black shaft-streak ; tibiae and lower tail-coverts with fine shaft-streaks of brown, 
like the broader stripes of the other portions. Chin and throat, only, immaculate. Lining 
of the wings spotted with ochraceous-white and brown, in about equal amount, the former in 
spots approaching the shaft. Inner webs of primaries with transverse broad bars of pale och- 
raceous — eight on the longest. Wing 7-70; tail 5.00; culmen 0.50; tarsus 1.30; middle 
toe 1.25 ; outer 0.85 ; inner 0.70 ; posterior 0.50. Adult 9 '• Differing in coloration from 
the male only in the points of detail. Grround-color of the upper parts clear grayish-drab, the 
feathers with conspicuously black shafts ; all the feathers with pairs of rather indistinct rounded 
ochraceous spots, these most conspicuous on the wings and scapulars. Secondaries crossed 
with three bands of deeper, more reddish-ochraceous. Bands of the tail, pure white. In 
other respects exactly like the male. Wing 9.00 ; tail 6.10 ; culmen 0.55 ; tarsus 1.40 ; mid- 
dle toe 1.50 ; Young $ : Differing from the adult only in degree. Upper surface with the 
rusty borders of the feathers more washed over the general surface ; the rusty ochraceous 
forming the ground-color of the head, — paler anteriorly, where the black shaft- streaks are 
very conspicuous ; spots on the primary coverts and primaries deep reddish ochraceous ; tail- 
bands broader than in the adult and more reddish ; the terminal one twice as broad as the rest 
(0.40 of an inch), and almost cream color. Beneath, pale ochraceous, this deepest on the 
breast and sides ; markings as in the adult, but anal region and lower tail-coverts immacu- 
late ; the shaft-streaks on the tibiae, also, scarcely discernible. Wing 7.00; tail 4.60." 
(Ridgway.) Interior N. Am., especially from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mts. ; very near the 
last, both being closely related to F. cesalon, the fewer bars on the wings and tail apparently 
the principal character. A 9 I took in Dakota measures : length 12.75; extent 26.75; wing 
8.50. 
508. F. sparve'rius. (Lat. sparvenws, a sparrower. Fig. 378.) Rusty-crowned Falcon. Spar- 
row Hawk. Smallest of our Falconince ; sexes unhke in color, but of nearly the same size, 
