46 
Capt. Blakiston on the Birds of the 
remarks that its identity with the European bird is most perfect 
in specimens from western North America. I have, however, 
only recorded it in italics , because Mr. John H. Gurney (whom 
no one in this country can equal as a referee on raptorial birds) 
considers that A. lagopus does not range to America; the 
patches of colouring on American birds being invariably larger, 
and the lightest individuals darker than the darkest European 
examples. He leans to the opinion that the American bird is 
the young of A. sancti-johannis , next to be noted. 
9. Archibuteo sancti-johannis. 
In my first paper a specimen and eggs are mentioned from 
the western plains (‘Ibis,’ vol. iii. p. 318), where the Black 
Hawk is not an uncommon bird. I find also that Mr. Andrew 
Murray, in his paper entitled “ Contributions to the Natural 
History of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Territories,” in the 
‘Edin. New Phil. Journ.’ for April 1859, has also recorded 
specimens from Hudson’s Bay and the country lying between 
its western shore and Lake Winipeg. Mr. Boss gives it on the 
Mackenzie as rare, which is the most western locality assigned 
to the species. The supposed A. lagopus has, however, been 
obtained in California and Washington Territory, but those 
localities, although on the Pacific side of the Bocky Mountain 
range, are not further west in longitude than Mackenzie Biver; 
still it is curious that Professor Baird has received no specimens 
of A. sancti-johannis , if it is the adult of the other, from the Pa¬ 
cific States. 
10. Archibuteo ferrugineus. (See ‘Ibis,’ vol. iii. p. 318.) 
Although my observations on the American Falconidce have 
been but few, I am obliged a second time to call in question the 
veracity of the 1st Part of Hr. Brewer’s ‘ Oology.’ I refer to the 
case of the “California Squirrel-Hawk,” or “Western Bough¬ 
legged Buzzard,” the supposed egg of which he has figured from 
a specimen said to have been obtained by Dr. Heermann in 
California. There has evidently been some mistake about it; 
for, as stated in my first paper (‘ Ibis,’ No. 12), I took two nests 
of this bird on the Saskatchawan prairies, from one of which I 
shot a female bird, now in the collection of the Boyal Artillery 
