148 
ZOOLOGY. 
each wing. A pair keep about the town, and often fly up together, circling around and chasing 
each other in sport. Their wings are remarkably short and broad.” 
The shape of the wing, apparently smaller size, and rapid flapping flight, differed from the 
red-tail’s, as I remarked at the time. I tried on several days to get near one, but without 
success, as it had begun to he shy at the approach of man, whose murderous intentions most of 
the hawks on that coast had apparently not yet learned.—C. 
BUTEO COOPERI, C as sin. 
California Hawk. 
Buteo Cooperi, Cassin, Proc. Acad Philad. VIII, 253, (1856.) Baird & Cassin, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 31. 
“About the size of Buteo borealis, but belonging to the same group as Buteo erythronolus of South America, (genus Tachytri- 
orchis, Kaup, as restricted by Bonaparte, Conspectus Avium, p. 17.”)— Cassin. 
Sp. Ch. — Immature plumage. —Back feathers white at bases, the rest brownish, tinged with cinereous; upper tail coverts 
white, barred with dark brown and rufous; a general pale ashy tinge above. Tail white at base, outer webs cinereous, some 
inner white and mottled rufous gon middle feather ; a subterminal band of dark brown, and tip rufous and white. Under 
parts white, with numerous dark stripes on throat, neck, and flanks. A large brownish black spot on under wing coverts. 
The adult in full plumage, which has not yet been obtained, probably has the upper parts of a light ash color, (like that 
of the old marsh hawk,) and the tail white. 
No. 8525. Santa Clara, Cal., Nov. 1855. Young female? Length, 20.59; extent, 51 inches. Iris, dark brown; bill, 
bluish; feet and cere, yellow. 
Plate XVI, (Birds,) represents this specimen. 
In October and November, 1855, I spent six weeks in Santa Clara county, California, where 
I met with many new and interesting animals. On November 10, I find it noted in my journal, 
“Shot a hawk of a kind now quite common here, which keeps about the groves of low oaks, 
and has much the same cry, habits, and flight, as the red-tail. This specimen appears to be 
changing its plumage, but has still the brown iris, characteristic of young hawks.” I saw 
frequently what I took for the same species up to the time of my departure from California, 
about December 1. As they were not shy, I might have shot several more, but although new 
to me, I supposed that the many collectors who had preceded me in California must certainly 
have obtained numerous specimens of the immature bird, and I tried without success to find 
more perfect specimens. On the 29th November I observed a pair of them sitting on the 
ground in a perfectly level prairie, at a distance from any covert by which I might approach 
them. These had the light ashy gray color much more distinct than in the specimen, though I 
could perceive that they too had some of the mottlings of the immature plumage. They 
seemed to have nearly white tails.—C. 
ARCHIBUTEO LAGOPUS, Gray. 
Koiigli-legged Hawfc. 
Falco lagopus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 260, (1788.) 
Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, pi. XXXIII, fig. 1, young. 
Aud. B. of Am. pi. 422, fig. 2, adult? 
Jirchibuteo lagopus, Gray, Gen. ed. 2, p. 3. 
A. lagopus, (Gm.) Baird & Cassin, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 32. 
Sp. Ch. —Head above yellowish, with reddish stripes; back pale cinereous, sometimes very white, with bands of white and 
dark brown; beneath white, stripes on throat, and large spots and stripes of brown on breast; numeous bands of same on 
abdomen, tibia, and tarsi. Tail coverts and tail at base white; the rest of the tail cinereous, with a broad black band near 
tip, and two others above it. Blackish spots, and a large ashy brown space on under wing coverts. 
Female: length, 21 to 23; wing, 16 to 17; tail, 9 inches. 
Male: length, 19 to 21; wing, 15 to 16; tail, 8 to 8£ inches. 
