FA L CONID^ — B UTEONIN^ : B UZZABDS. 
545 
with reduction, interruption, or extinction of all these bars except the last one. Under parts 
somewhat as in the adult, but, like the upper, without the fulvous or rufous shades ; usually 
white, unmarked in a large pectoral area, with circlet of throat stripes, and pronounced abdom- 
inal zone of dark or blackish markings; tibiae spotted or not; crissum immaculate. There 
should be no difficulty in recognizing this hawk among those of the Eastern U. S. in any 
plumage ; the red tail of the adult is of course distinctive ; a weakly young male might raise a 
doubt with reference to B. lineatus; in that case, notice the stout tarsi, feathered about half- 
way down ; the decided white pectoral area, free from spots, circumscribed by dark markings, 
especially those of the abdominal zone ; and absence of any reddishness on the upper parts or 
wing-coverts. Such is the ordinary "hen hawk" so abundant in Eastern North America, 
where it is subject to comparatively little variation. In the West, however, where it is equally 
numerous, it sports almost interminably in color, and not always conformably with geograph- 
ical distribution. Several of these phases have received special names, as given beyond. 
I am willing to spread them upon my page, but too much of my life is behind me for me to 
spend much time in such trivial mutabilities. The tendency is to melanism and erythrism, the 
extreme case of which is B. calurus of Cassin. A pure horealis, exactly matching the normal 
Eastern type, is seldom seen in the West. But in all its color-variation, the. bird preserves its 
specific characters of size and robust proportions, being thus readily distinguishable from the 
smaller and weaker species, B. swainsoni, in any of the endless and somewhat parallel varia- 
tions of the latter. The nest is usually built high in a tree, a bulky mass of sticks and smaller 
twigs, mixed toward the centre with grass, moss, or other soft material, and often some feathers. 
Eggs generally 3, about 2.40X2.00, dull whitish, sometimes with only a few pale markings, 
oftener boldly and richly blotched with warm shades of brown. The young are slow to acquire 
their perfect plumage, being long full-grown before the red appears upon the tail, and this 
usually precedes the fulvous of the under parts. 
517. B. b. calu'rus. (Gr. fcaXos, A;aZos, beautiful ; ovpd, oura, Vdil.) Western Red-tail. Black 
Red-tail. The extreme case is chocolate -brown or even darker, quite unicolor, with rich red 
tail crossed by several black bars ; from which erythro-melanism grading insensibly into 
ordinary horealis. The usual case is increase over horealis of dark rufous and dusky shades 
in bars and spots underneath, particularly on the flanks, flags, and crissum, and presence of other 
than the subterminal black bar on the tail. One case is chocolate-brown, with a great reddish 
blotch on the breast. Western N. Am. at large, particularly U. S. from R. Mts. to the 
Pacific. 
518. B. b. lucasa'nus. (Of Cape St. Lucas.) St. Lucas Red-tail. A light-colored form, like 
krideri, white below, tinged with rufous on the tibiae, and no black subterminal bar on the tail. 
Lower Gala. 
519. B. b. kri'deri. (To John Krider.) Krider's Red-tail. A light-colored form, pure white 
below, with few markings or none, and the subterminal tail-bar reduced or obliterated. High 
central plains, U. S. This and the last hardly tenable. 
*** Light-weights; 4 outer primaries cut. 
520. B. linea^tus. (Lat. lineatus, striped.) Red-shouldered Buzzard. Winter Hawk. 
" Chicken Hawk." Adult ^ 9 • Feet and cere chrome yellow, the anterior tarsal scales 
tinged with greenish. Greneral plumage of a rich fulvous cast. Above, reddish -brown, the 
feathers with dark brown centres, giving the prevailing tone, and black shafts ; head, neck, 
and entire under parts orange-brown, mostly with dark shaft-lines and white bars, especially 
on the lower parts posteriorly ; lesser wing-coverts rich orange-brown or chestnut, forming a 
conspicuous area on the bend of the wing. Quills and tail-feathers black, beautifully marked 
with white ; the primaries and secondaries with white spots or bars on both webs tenninating 
on each edge oi the feather, the light bars which cross the feather, and the darker intervening 
35 
