FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 
161 
in a large tree near the border of a stream. Eggs : usually 2, white, irregu¬ 
larly blotched with brown, chiefly around the larger end. 
Food. — Small mammals, reptiles, Crustacea, insects, and rarely birds. 
In Arizona Dr. Mearns usually found the anthracite or Mexican 
black hawk hidden in the foliage near water. Occasionally he saw 
one eating fish on the sandy margin of a river. They are very shy 
he says, and their flight is swift and powerful. 
GENUS ASTUKINA. 
346. Asturina plagiata Schlegel. Mexican Goshawk. 
Proportions of Buteo but coloration of Astur; wings less than 4 times 
as long as tarsus; four outer primaries cut out on inner webs, second to 
fifth cut out on outer webs; tail even, long; about three fourths wing; 
legs long, as in Accipiter ; feet stout. 
Adults. — Under parts, except for white under tail coverts, everywhere 
barred gray and white; upper parts plain ash gray or very faintly barred ; 
top of head and back of neck with fine blackish shaft streaks ; wing quills 
and upper tail coverts white, tail blackish, tipped with white, and crossed 
by 2 or 3 white bands. Young: under parts white, broadly streaked ex¬ 
cept on throat, and tinged with pinkish buff on sides and under wings; 
upper parts sooty brown, head and neck streaked, and wings spotted with 
buffy; upper tail coverts white; tail grayish brown, tipped with whitish, 
and crossed by 6 or 7 black bands. Length: 16-18, wing 9.50-11.70, tail 
6.70-8.20, bill .75-1.00. 
Distribution. — From southwestern border of United States to Panama. 
Nest. — Of fresh cottonwood twigs with leaves attached, lined with 
dry leaves and strips of bark. Eggs: usually 2, pale bluish white, 
unspotted. 
Food. — Ground squirrels, mice, birds, small reptiles, and insects. 
The Mexican goshawk frequents open groves and the edges of 
timber, especially near watercourses. 
Near Tucson, Arizona, Major Bendire had a good opportunity to 
study its habits. From the middle of April, he says, “not a day 
passed without my seeing two or three pairs of these handsome lit¬ 
tle goshawks (which were readily recognized by their light color) 
engaged in sailing gracefully over the treetops, now sportively chas¬ 
ing each other, or again circling around, the female closely followed 
by the male, uttering at the same time a very peculiar piping note, 
which reminded me of that given by the long-billed curlew in the 
early spring (while hovering in the air in the manner of a sparrow 
hawk), rather than the shrill cries or screams usually uttered by birds 
of prey. To my ear, there was something decidedly flute-like about 
these notes. . . . When in search of food, their flight is powerful, 
active, and easily controlled. I have seen one of them dart to the 
ground with arrow-like swiftness to pick up some bird, lizard, or 
rodent, continuing its flight without any stop whatever.” 
