142 
ZOOLOGY. 
Family FALC0N1DAE. The Falcons. 
Sub-family FALCONINAE. True Falcons. 
FALCO NIGRICEPS, Gas sin. 
The Western Duck Hawk. 
Falco niyriceps, Cassin, Birds of Cal. and Tex., I, p. 87, (1853.)— Ib. in Gilliss’ U. S. Astron. Exped , 11,(1855,) 
pi. xiv.— Baird & Cassin, Gen. Bep. Birds, p. 8. 
Sp. Ch. —Above bluish cinereous, narrowly banded with black ; below reddish, with circular spots, and bands of black on 
sides. Crown and cheeks nearly black. Female : length 15 to 17J inches ; wing, 11 to 12 ; tail, 6 to G£. 
Younger : above dark brown ; tail barred with rufous on inner webs ; beneath reddish yellow, with broad stripes of black. 
Adult: resembling the common duck hawk of the eastern coast, (F. anaturn,) but smaller, and with the bill disproportion¬ 
ately weaker. Head and neck above black, and a large black space on cheeks. 
Specimen No. 8501, original No. 63. Dimensions when fresh : Length, 17.25 ; extent, 39.50. Iris hazel, bill whitish 
blue, feet yellow. Plate xi (birds) represents this specimen. 
Of the western duck hawk I have seen only two pairs, which, in March, 1854, frequented a 
high wooded cliff at Shoalwater bay. Often as I passed underneath they would fly round over 
my head, and I succeeded in shooting two of them, which were marked exactly alike. The 
other two, from their larger size, I supposed were females, and they soon after left the 
neighborhood. I supposed from their keeping about the same spot that they intended to build 
there.—C. 
In the summer of 1856 Mr. George Gibbs, of Steilacoom, W. T., presented me with a 
specimen of this bird, killed near his farm. This was forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution 
museum. I know nothing respecting its habits.—S. 
FALCO COLUMBARIUS, Linnaeus. 
The Pigeon Hawk. 
Falco columbarius, Linn. Syst. Nat., I, 128, (1776.)— Wilson, Am. Ora. II, pi. xv, fig. 3.— Baird & Cassin, Gen. 
Rep. Birds, p. 9. 
Falco columbarius and termerarius, Aud. B. of Au., pi. lxxii and xcii; oct. ed. I, pi. xxi. 
Hypotriorchis columbarius, Newberry, P. R. R. Rep , vol. VI, p. 74, (Birds.) 
Sp. Ch —Small and stout in form ; above bluish slate color, with black lines; beneath pale yellowish or reddish white, 
each feather with a black stripe. Tail with one wide dark band, and several (about three) narrower bands of black. 
Younger: dusky or light brown; sometimes with ferruginous markings; beneath dull white, with light brown stripes. 
Tail pale brown, with about six white bands. 
Young: brownish hlack, the white parts dusky, stripes wider, sides with black bands and white spots; quills and tail 
nearly black, the tail with about four white bands, or unspotted. 
No. 4476, adult female, Straits of Fuca, April, 1855. Length, 12. 50 ; extent, 27 inches. 
No. 4475, adult male, Santa Clara, Cal., November, 1855. Length, 11.75; extent, 23.50. 
No. 4477, young male, Shoalwater bay, August, 1855. Length, 10. 25 ; extent, 22. 50. 
Iris brown, bill bluish black, cere and feet yellow, in all the specimens. 
The pigeon hawk seems to he rather uncommon in the Territory. I shot one in June, 1853, 
and did not see another until April, 1855, when they had just arrived at the Straits of De 
Fuca. I was surprised one day by an unusual screaming of some bird close to the house, and 
going out I found that one of these hawks had just caught an unfortunate flicker, which 
probably feared no assault from a bird no larger than itself. Its weight brought the hawk to 
the ground, where I immediately shot it. On picking it up the flicker, though unhurt either 
