62 
FALCO COLUMBARIUS. 
and frequently making’ a sudden and fiital sweep . 
the very midst of their multitudes. The Hocks of rohi”’ 
and ])igeous are honoured with the same attentio''* | 
from this marauder, whose daily excursions are entif^*^ 
regulated by the movemeuts of the groat body on 
unfortunate members he fattens. The individual If® | 
which the present description was taken, was *1'^- 
in the meiulows l)cloiv Philadelphia in the month 
August. He uas carrying off a blackbird 
phceniceus ) from the flock, and, thougli mortal'! 
wounded and dying, held his prey fast till his 
expiring breath, having struck his dau s into its 
heart. This was found to he a male. Sometimes u'h|'J 
shot at, and not hm-t, he will lly in circles over h’ 
sportsman’s head, shrieking out with great violence> ^ 
if highly irritated. lie frequently Hies low, skinnDi‘’r 
a little above the field. I have never seen his nest. 
The pignuni hawk is eleven inches long, and tweiffV 
three broad; the whole iqiper ])arts are of a deep 
brown, ex<!ept the tail, which is crossed with bars 
white ; the inner v.-uies of the quill feathers are mark"^® 
with round spots of reddish brown ; the bill is shp'^!’ 
strongly toothed, of a light blue colour, and tipped "'it® 
black ; the skin surrounding the eye, greenish ; 
the same ; temples and line over the eye, light<^r broCt^’ 
the lower parts, brownish white, streaked laterally 
dark brown ; legs, judlow; claws, black. The femal« ’■ 
an inch and a half longer, of a still deeper colo’J^’ 
though marked nearly in the same maiuu'r, with 
exception of some white on the hind head. Tw 
femoral, or thigh feathers, in both are of a remarkaWj 
length, reaching nearly to the feet, and are also streak*’ 
longitudinally with daj’k brown. The irides of ! 
eyes of this bird have been hitherto described as beA" 
of a brilliant yellow ; but every sjieciraen I have 
met with had the iris of a deep hazel. I must thercfe''j 
follow nature, in opposition to very numerous 
respectable authorities. 
I cannot, in imitation of Eurojiean naturalists, 
hellish the history of this species with anecdotes of 
