BIRDS-FALCONINAE—FALCO FEMORALIS. 
11 
This handsome little hawk was noticed by Lieutenant Couch in the State of New Leon, 
Mexico, on the Rio Grande, and undoubtedly is properly to be regarded as a bird of Texas. 
It is well known as a South American species, and is diffused over a vast extent of the continent 
of America, having very probably for the most northerly limit of its range the State just 
mentioned. 
The specimen brought by Lieutenant Couch is in quite mature plumage, and is now in the 
National Museum. 
List of specimens. 
Eh 
<D 
to 
d 
Locality. 
Whence and how obtained. 
pO 
a 
p 
p 
T3 
p 
p 
bo 
<v 
r Jl 
6 
A 
New Leon, Mexico_ 
Lieutenant Couch_ 
145 
B 
P 
P 
<D 
P 
to 
IS 
4129 
Nature of specimen. 
Eyes, brown; feet, orange; 
l ill, lead and slate. 
Measurements. 
o .5 
a * 
T3 
23. 00 
7.75 
FALCO FEMORALIS, Tern mi nek. 
Falco femoralis, Temm, PI. col. I. (liv. 21.) 
Falco thcracicus, (III.) Licht. Verz. p. 62, (1823.) 
Larger than the preceding, but somewhat resembling it in color. Head above, and entire upper parts light cinereous ; 
darker, and with transverse bars of white on the upper tail coverts ; front and line over the eye to the back of the neck 
white, tinged with orange on the latter ; a wide band under and behind the eye, and another short band running down¬ 
wards from the base of the under mandible, dark cinereous. Throat and breast very pale yellowish white ; a wide band 
across the body, beneath black, with narrow transverse stripes of white ; abdomen, tibia;, and under tail coverts light 
rufous. Under wing coverts pale yellowish white, spotted with black ; primaries ashy black, with numerous transverse 
bands of white on their inner webs; secondaries light cinereous, tipped with white ; two middle feathers of the tail light 
cinereous with transverse bands of ashy white; other feathers of the tail brownish black, tipped with white, and having 
about eight transverse bands of white. Bill yellow at base, tipped with light bluish horn color ; legs yellow. 
Total length about 15 inches, wing 10£, tail inches. 
Hab. New Mexico, Mexico, South America. Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington, and Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 
A fine specimen of this species is in the collection made by Dr. A. L. Heermann while 
attached to the party in charge of Lieutenant J. G. Parke. It is in mature plumage, and is 
strictly identical with South American specimens. 
This bird was obtained in New Mexico. It is a common species of South America. 
