77 
Weights of goshawks. Adult male, 2 lbs. Not fat. Juvenile female, 
2 lbs. Fat. 
Specimens: Adult male, July 15; juvenile male, July 15. 
These two birds, parent and offspring, raised locally, are of particular interest in view 
of discussion carried on over characters of western goshawk, A. a. striatulus. A careful 
comparison of a considerable series of birds across northern part of continent indicates, 
that, with exception of occasional extreme western specimens, adults show no geographical 
distinctions. In spite of question raised (Swarth, Birds of AtUn, B.C., Cal. Pub. in Zool., 
vol. 30, pp. 104-5, 1926) it still seems true that fineness of vermiculation below is an age 
rather than a racial character. At any rate it occurs with equal frequency anywhere between 
Atlantic and Pacific. Writer has examined specimen cited by Mr. Swarth as a juvenile 
going into a finely vermiculated plumage, but disagrees with his conclusions. It is a finely 
vermiculated blue bird just completing its summer moult, but extraordinarily pale and not 
a normal bird. Close examination reveals a very few individual, scattered brown feathers, 
but they cannot be regarded as relicts of a late juvenile plumage, for they are fresh, unworn, 
and but lately assumed with remainder of the adult plumage. Writer can only conclude 
that they are sporadic recrudescences of juvenile-like feathers in a very old bird. 
Though adults show little or no indication of geographic variation, juveniles show it 
rather definitely. In British Columbia a series of birds are found in striped plumage of the 
year, with dark backs, heavily and broadly striped breasts, and often with an overwash of 
pale brownish-ochre, strongest on breast but suffusing over most of under parts, especially the 
flags. These characters strongest on coast birds in our collections. Agree closely with 
juvenile types designated by describer of striatulus. Practically nothing known of breeding 
range of tnis form and probably these Mount Logan specimens only definitely prove 
breeding striatulus extant. Regrettable that ornithologists so often neglect collecting or 
preserving these large, bulky species and that oologists too often satisfied with loose, sub- 
specific identifications of their specimens, otherwise many of these questions of breeding 
distribution might have been settled long ago. Resident birds of interior southern British 
Columbia seem to be typical atricapillus (Brooks and Swarth, “A Distributional List of 
the Birds of British Columbia,” Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 17, 1925). Both atricapillus 
and striatulus occur on coast, but it is uncertain which nests there. Early autumn birds of 
Vancouver and Queen Charlotte islands and Teslin lake (extreme northern British Col- 
umbia) striatulus, but atricapillus occurs with them. It is assumed that former is a northern 
and coast breeder, but confirmatory evidence very desirable. 
Exception mentioned under reference to adult plumage consists of occasional very 
dark adults; back strongly blackish and a wash of same over breast. Writer has seen 
only a few of these individuals from localities so widely scattered as to give no suggestion 
of geographical distribution, but has considered the possibility of their being adult of 
juvenile striatulus. These Mount Logan birds, however, dispose of that conjecture and 
definitely show that marked juvenile striatulus come from parents indistinguishable from 
typical atricapillus. Looks as if dark adults mentioned are examples of a melanotic 
dichromatism confined to western strains and similar to well-known occurrence of same 
phenomena in Swainson’s, red-tailed, and broad-winged hawks. Matter is further com- 
plicated by pale Atlin bird cited by Swarth as before mentioned, which seems a departure 
from type in other direction and a tendency towards a white phase of species such as occurs 
in Asia. 
26. Buteo borealis (Gmelin) Red-tailed Hawk 
The first Buteos seen from railway, evening of May 8, near McCarthy. 
Were perched in dead trees near an open, burned muskeg and though 
setting correctly for rough-legs, were probably red-tails. 
Undoubted red-tails all in dark phase of plumage observed daily up the 
Chitina, and from Hubrick’s camp downward probably a breeding pair 
every 5 miles. Nests difficult to locate on account of being hidden in 
spruce woods and birds themselves shy. These hawks hunted in woods, 
and, contrary to expectations, did not go aloft and prey upon ground 
squirrels in open, alpine country above timber. 
AH attempts to secure specimens failed until July 5, when a female, 
apparently a non-breeder in the juvenal, brown-tailed plumage of the 
previous year, taken near river-level. Colour notes on soft parts for this 
