FALCONIDJE—BUTEONIN^: BUZZARDS. 
551 
faint clouding, to creamy-white boldly variegated with blotches and waslies of dark brown on 
the surface, with neutral-tint markings in the substance of the shell. 
536. A. ferrugi'neus. (Lat. ferriigo, iron-rust.) Ferruginous Kough-legged Buzzard. 
California Squirrel Hawk." Adult $ 9 • Below, pure wliite from bill to end of tail, 
the legs rich rufous or bright chestnut barred with black, in marked contrast ; usually a few 
chestnut bars or arrow-heads on the belly and Hanks, and the breast with sharp shaft lines of 
black. The older the bird the purer white below, with more perfect contrast of the chestnut 
legs ; the 9 retaining marks of immaturity longer than the $ ; these consisting in extension 
of the black-barred chestnut markings on to the belly, flanks, and even more of the under parts, 
and spreading of the fine shaft lines on the breast into ordinary streaks. Tail silvery-white 
below, above white at base and extreme tip, in most of its extent clouded with silvery-ash and 
more or less tinged with ferruginous. Back, rump, and wing-coverts mixed blackish and 
bright chestnut in varying but about equal amounts, the former color making central markings 
on the exposed portion of each feather, the chestnut yielding to white at the bases of the 
feathers. Top, back, and sides of head streaked with blackish and white in about equal 
amounts, the feathers being cottony-white, with dark streaks or spaces on their exposed por- 
tions. Primaries blackish, with a glaucous bloom on their outer webs, their shafts almost 
entirely white, several outer ones with extensive pure white areatiou on their inner webs ; 
inner primaries and secondaries continuing this pattern, but with more or less evident ashy 
spacing between blackish bars, as usual in buteonine hawks. Length of $ , 22.50 ; extent 54.- 
50; wing 16.75; tail 9.25; tarsus 2.75; length of 9, 23.50; extent 56.50; wing 17.25; tail 
9.75. Iris pale brownish to light yellow; cere and feet bright yellow; bill dark bluish horn- 
color ; mouth purplish flesh-color. Third and 4th quills subequal and longest ; 2d between 5th 
and 6th ; 1st about equal to 8th ; lst-4th abruptly emarginate on inner webs ; 2d-5th sinuate 
on outer webs. The foregoing is from a fine pair I procured in Arizona in 1864. A younger 
bird is described as less rufous above, and almost entirely white below, the flags scarcely varie- 
gated or contrasted. The first plumage does not seem to be described ; I have seen it in 
Dakota, but have no specimen at hand, and cannot trust my memory. One of the largest, 
handsomest and most distinctively marked hawks of N. Am., somewhat recalling Buteo alho- 
caudatus; common in the west, from the region of the Red River of the North and of the Sas- 
katchewan to Texas and into Mexico, and from the Plains to the Pacific ; sometimes even E. 
of the Mississippi, as in Iowa. Nesting and habits in no wise peculiar, as compared with 
those of other large hawks ; nest in trees, on ledges and banks, composed of sticks, with mat- 
ted lining of various softer materials; eggs not characteristic, but large, averaging 2.50 X 1-95. 
182. ASTURI'NA. (Modified from Lat. astur, a hawk.) Star Buzzards. General chars, of 
Buteo, in proportions, but system of coloration as in Astur : sexes alike ; adults ashy, with 
black, white-barred tail, the under parts closely barred crosswise with ashy and white ; young 
different, the under parts marked lengthwise with blackish on a whitish ground. Wings short 
for this subfamily ; 3d, 4th, and 5th quills longest, 1st very short ; outer 4 emarginate on inner 
webs ; 2d-5th cut on outer webs. Tail even, long, about f the wing. Legs longer than usual 
in BiiteonincE, more nearly as in Accipitrince ; feet stout ; tarsus scutellate before and half-way 
up behind, shortly feathered above in front, elsewhere strongly reticulate. A small group of 
handsome under-sized hawks, peculiar to America. 
527. A. plaga'ta. (Lat. plagata, striped.) Gray Star Buzzard. Adult ^ 9 ' Upper parts 
nearly uniform cinereous, or light plumbeous, the feathers dark-shafted, and with nearly obso- 
lete undulations of lighter ash ; upper tail-coverts in part white. Tail black, with several 
white zones, sometimes broken, and white or whitish tip. Under parts, including tibiae, white, 
beautifully and closely cross-barred with dark ash, except upon the throat and crissum ; some 
of the feathers also dark-shafted. Lining of wings white, less closely barred 'with ashy. 
Primaries darkening from the color of the back, their inner webs spaced lighter and darker, and 
