BIRDS FROM COSTA RICA—WETMORE 35 
There is no apparent reason to dispute van Rossem’s statement? 
that these hawks, known usually as Asturina, cannot be separated 
from Buteo. 
CIRCUS CYANEUS HUDSONIUS (Linnaeus): Marsh Hawk 
Falco hudsonius LINNAEUS, Systema naturae, ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 128 (Hudson 
Bay). 
The marsh hawk was fairly common over the open pasturelands 
both at Liberia and on the lower mountain slopes inland. As I 
watched their quartering over these hunting grounds I sometimes 
wondered how far they had traveled in actual miles in arriving at 
this far southern point. I recorded the first one on October 30 at 
Liberia, and saw others there November 3 and 16. At the Hacienda 
Santa Maria I noted single birds on November 6, 8, 12, and 13. 
Family FALCONIDAE 
POLYBORUS CHERIWAY AUDUBONII Cassin 
Polyborus Audubonit Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Aug. 7, 1865, 
p. 2 (Florida). 
The caracara, called locally carga huesos, was fairly common about 
Liberia, being recorded on October 18, 22, 26 and November 2. 
HERPETOTHERES CACHINNANS CACHINNANS (Linnaeus) 
Falco cachinnans LINNAEUS, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 90 (Surinam). 
Near Liberia these handsome hawks were noted at intervals near 
the river below the town, while on the Hacienda Santa Maria they 
were found occasionally where woodlands bordered open country. 
At times they were seen soaring overhead, when the long tail and 
short wings gave them a curious and very characteristic outline. 
More often their presence was indicated by their strange calls, exhila- 
rating in tone to me both from the sound and from the memories that 
they always bring of the primitive regions where I have heard them 
during expeditions of other years. A female taken near Liberia, 
November 2, rested quietly in the top of a tree over a roadway, 
calling so softly that I thought at first that 1t was at a distance, 
though in reality it was directly overhead. The wing in this specimen 
measures 260 mm., while in color it is slightly darker above than 
examples from southern Mexico, being also slightly more buffy below. 
This fine falcon naturally has attracted much attention as collec- 
tions containing examples of it have come to hand, with the result that 
currently four to six subspecies have been recognized. 
Since there have been some uncertainties regarding the limits of 
the proposed forms, I have taken advantage of opportunity to review 
the series in the U. S. National Museum and in the American Mu- 
1 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zo6l., vol. 77, 1934, p. 429, 
