Obs. This very handsome Hawk is especially abundant in the Southern States. It cannot readily be confounded with any other North American species, though we have not been able to compare it with the Elanoides yetapa, Vieill., of South America, with which it is either identical or very similar.
II. GENUS ELANUS. Savigny, Nat. Hist. Egypt, I., 97. (1809.)
Bill short, compressed, hooked; wings long, pointed; tail moderate, generally emarginate; tarsi short. Contains four species only, much resembling each other; one of which is American, one African, and two Australian.
- 1. Elanus leucurus. (Vieill.) The Black-shouldered Hawk. The White-tailed Hawk.
- Milvus leucurus. Vieill., Nouv. Dict., XX. p. 563. (1818.)
- Falco dispar. Temm., Pl. Col., I. (Liv. 54, about 1824.)
- “Falco melanopterus. Daud.” Bonap., Jour. Acad. Philada., V. p. 28.
- “Falco dispar. Temm.” Aud., Orn. Biog., IV. p. 367.
Bonap., Am. Orn., II. pl. 11, fig. 1; Temm., Pl. col. 319; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 352, oct. ed. I. pl. 16. Gay’s Chili Orn., pl. 2.
Head above, entire under-parts, and tail, white, the middle-feathers of the latter usually tinged above with ashy, and the head posteriorly tinged with the same color, which gradually shades into a fine light-cinereous, which is the color of the upper-parts of the body, quills, and greater wing-coverts. Lesser wing-coverts glossy black, which forms a large oblong patch; inferior wing-coverts white, with a smaller black patch. Bill dark; tarsi and feet yellow.
Dimensions. Female—total length, 15½ to 17 inches; wing, 12; tail, 7½ inches. Male—smaller.
Hab. Southern States; California (Dr. Heermann); South Carolina (Prof. Gibbes); Chili (Lieut. Gillis). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. An abundant species in the Southern and South-western States. It is larger than the African E. melanopterus, with which it has been confounded, but considerably resembling it and the Australian species in form and general characters.
III. GENUS ICTINIA. Vieill., Analyse, p. 24. (1816.)
NERTUS. Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 314.
PŒCILOPTERYX. Kaup, Class., p. 112. (1844.)
Bill short, tip emarginated; wings long, pointed; tail rather short; usually emarginated; tarsi short. Two American species constitute this genus.
- 1. Ictinia mississippiensis. (Wilson.) The Mississippi Kite.
- Falco mississippiensis. Wilson, Am. Orn., III. p. 80. (1811.)
- Falco ophiophagus. Vieill., Nouv. Dict., XI. p. 103. (1817.)
- “Ictinia plumbea. Gm.” Aud., Orn. Biog., II. p. 108.
Vieill., Gal., I. pl. 17; Wilson, Am. Orn., III. pl. 25, fig. 1; Aud., B. of Am. pl. 117, oct. ed. I. pl. 17.
Head, exposed ends of secondary quills, and entire under-parts, light-cinereous, palest and nearly white on the tips of the secondaries. Back, wing-coverts, and rump dark lead-color; primaries and tail brownish-black, the latter with a tinge of bluish. Bill dark; tarsi and feet lighter.
Dimensions. Total length, female, about 15 inches; wing, 11 to 11½; tail, 6½ inches. Male—smaller.
Hab. Southern States; Texas (Mr. Audubon); South Carolina (Prof. Gibbes). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This bird is quite different from the South American I. plumbea, for which it has been mistaken by American naturalists; in fact, it is so little like it, that a comparison of specimens of the two species would render a suspicion of their identity quite impossible.
IV. GENUS ROSTRHAMUS. Lesson, Traité d’Orn., I. p. 55. (1831.)
Bill long, very slender, hooked, and sharp at the tip; wings long, pointed; tail rather long, emarginate; tarsi and toes rather long; claws very long, slender, acute. The present is the only species.
- 1. Rostrhamus sociabilis. (Vieill.) The Hooked-billed Hawk.
- Herpetotheres sociabilis. Vieill., Nouv. Dict., XVIII. p. 318. (1817.)
- Cymindis leucopygius. Spix, Av. Bras., I. p. 7. (1824.)
- Rostrhamus niger. Less., Traité, I. p. 56. (1831.)
- “Falco hamatus. Illiger.” Lesson, as above.
Temm., Pl. col. I. 61, 231; Spix, Av. Bras., I. pl. 2; Guerin, Mag. de Zool., 1834, pl. 20.
Adult. Tail at base, and under tail-coverts, white; all other parts black. Naked space before the eye yellow, which is also the color of the feet; bill and claws black. Tail usually tipped with pale-cinereous. Younger. Throat and line over and behind the eye yellowish-white; general plumage brownish-black, mixed with yellowish-white on the under-parts of the body. Young. Forehead—stripe behind the eye and throat reddish or ferruginous-white; upper-parts brown, many feathers edged with pale-ferruginous; under-parts yellowish, with longitudinal stripes of black; tail at tip and base, and under tail-coverts, yellowish-white. Legs yellowish-green.
Dimensions. Female—total length (of skin), 16 inches; wing, 14; tail, 7½ inches. Male—smaller.
Hab. Florida (Mr. Harris, Dr. Heermann). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This bird is remarkable for its slender and hooked bill, unlike that of any other Falcon. It is well known as a South American bird, and was first noticed in Florida by Mr. Edward Harris; subsequently by Dr. Heermann. Both these gentlemen having obtained specimens of young birds, it is probably a constant resident of that State.
V. GENUS CIRCUS. Lacepede, Mem. d’Inst., III. p. 506. (1803.)
STRIGICEPS. Bonap., Comp. List., p. 5. (1838.)
Size medium; head rather large; face partially encircled by a ring or ruff of short projecting feathers (as in the Owls). Bill rather short, compressed, curved from the base; nostrils large; wings long, pointed; tail long, wide; tarsi long and slender, compressed; toes moderate; claws long, rather slender. Embraces about fifteen species, of all parts of the world.
- 1. Circus hudsonius. (Linn.) The Marsh Hawk. The Harrier.
- Falco hudsonius. Linn., Syst. Nat., I. p. 128. (1766.)
- Falco uliginosus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 278. (1788.)
- Falco europogistus. Daudin, Traité, II. p. 110. (1800.)
- “Falco uliginosus.” Wilson, Am. Orn., VI. p. 67.
- “Falco cyaneus. Linn.” Aud., Orn. Biog., IV. p. 396.
Edw., Birds, VI. pl. 291; Vieill., Ois. d’Am., pl. 9; Wilson, Am. Orn., VI. pl. 51, fig. 2; Bonap., Am. Orn., II. pl. 12; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 356, oct. ed. I. pl. 26; Faun. Bor. Am., Birds, pl. 29; De Kay, Nat. Hist. N. Y. Orn., pl. 3, figs. 6, 7.
Form slender; tarsi long; ruff very distinct on the neck in front. Adult. Upper-parts, head, and breast, pale grayish-cinereous, generally more or less tinged with fuscous, and on the back of the head mixed with dark fulvous; upper tail-coverts white. Under-parts white, usually with many small cordate or hastate spots of light-ferruginous; quills brownish-black, with their outer webs tinged with ashy, and a large portion of their inner webs white; tail light-cinereous, nearly white on the inner webs of the feathers, and with obscure bands of brown; under-surface white; inferior wing-coverts white; secondaries tipped with dark-brown. Young. Entire upper-parts dark umber-brown, mixed with fulvous, and white on the occiput and neck behind; upper tail-coverts white. Tail reddish-brown, with about three broad bands of dark-fulvous, paler on their inner webs. Under-parts rufous, with stripes of brown on the breast and sides; tarsi and feet yellow. In younger birds, on the under-parts the brown stripes are more numerous.
Dimensions. Female—total length, 19½ to 21 inches; wing, 15½; tail, 10 inches. Male—total length, 16 to 18 inches; wing, about 14; tail 8½ to 9 inches.
Hab. All of North America; California (Col. M‘Call); Oregon (U. S. Ex. Exp. Vincennes); Cuba (M. de Sagra, M. Lembeye). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. Resembles to some extent the Circus cyaneus of Europe, but is easily distinguished from it by its colors and rather larger size. The adults and young of this species present great differences in color and general appearance.
V. SUB-FAMILY AQUILINÆ. THE EAGLES.
Size usually large. Bill large, compressed, straight at base, curved and acute at the tip; wings long, pointed; tail ample, generally rounded at the end; tarsi moderate or rather long, strong; toes long, strong; claws very strong, curved, acute. This sub-family includes about seventy species, of all countries.
I. GENUS AQUILA. Mœhring, Av. Gen. p. 49. (1752.)
Large, bill large, strong, compressed, and hooked at the tip; wing long, pointed, very strong; tarsi moderate, feathered to the base of the toes. Tail rather long, rounded or wedge-shaped; toes and claws long; the latter very sharp and curved. Contains about twenty species, which are regarded as the true Eagles.
- 1. Aquila chrysaetos. (Linn.) The Golden Eagle. The ring-tailed Eagle.
- Falco chrysaetos and fulvus. Linn., Syst. Nat., I. p. 125. (1766.)
- Falco canadensis. Linn., Syst. Nat., I. p. 125. (1766.)
- Aquila nobilis. Pallas, Zoog. Ross. As., I. p. 338. (1811.)
- Falco niger. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 259. (1788.)?
Edw., Birds, pl. 1; Brown, Ill., pl. 2; Buff. Pl. Enl. 409, 410; Wils. Am. Orn., pl. 55, fig. 1; Aud. B. of Am., pl. 181; oct. ed. 1, pl. 12.
Very large; tarsi densely feathered to the toes. Adult. Head above and behind and neck behind light-brownish fulvous, much varying in shade in different specimens. Base of the tail pure white, which color varies in extent in different specimens, but generally occupies the greater part of the tail; remaining portion glossy black. All other parts rich purplish-brown, very dark, and nearly black on the under-surface. Primary quills shining black, secondaries purplish-brown, with a violet tinge; tibia and tarsi brownish-fulvous, tinged with ashy; toes yellow. Younger. Entire plumage mixed with fulvous, and with the under-surface of the body paler.
Dimensions. Female—total length, 33 to 40 inches; wing, about 25; tail, about 15 inches. Male—smaller.
Hab. Whole of North America; Oregon (Dr. Townsend). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. We are not without doubts as to the specific identity of the American and the European Golden Eagles. All the American specimens that we have examined are smaller, the bill shorter, and the plumage much darker than those of Europe. We have not at present, however, a sufficient number of either continent, and it unfortunately happens that nearly all our European specimens are young birds, while the American are adults. Mr. Audubon’s plate represents this bird in nearly mature plumage.
II. GENUS HALIAETUS. Savigny, Hist. Nat. d’Egypt, I. p. 85. (1809.)
Size large; tarsi short, naked, or feathered for a short distance below the joint of the tibia and tarsi, and with the toes covered with scales. Bill large, strong, compressed; margin of upper mandible slightly festooned; wings rather long-pointed; tail moderate; toes rather long; claws very strong, curved, sharp. This genus contains about ten species of all parts of the world, all of which prey more or less on fishes, and are known as Fishing or Sea Eagles.
- 1. Haliaetus pelagicus. (Pallas.) The Northern Sea Eagle.
- Aquila pelagica. Pallas, Zoog. Rosso-Asiat., I. p. 343. (1811.)
- “Aquila marina. Steller, MSS.” Pallas as above.
- Falco imperator. Kittlitz., Kupf. Nat. Vog., pt. I. p. 3. (1832.)
- Falco leucopterus. Temm., Pl. col. 1. p. (no page.)
Kittlitz Kupf., pl. 2; Temm., Pl. col. I., pl. 489. Cassin. B. of California and Texas, I., pl. 6.
The largest of the Eagles. Wings rather shorter than usual in this genus; tail wedge-shaped, and composed of fourteen feathers. Adult. Large frontal space, greater wing-coverts, abdomen and tail white; all other parts of the plumage dark brown or brownish-black; bill and legs yellow. Younger. Tail white, more or less marked with brownish-black. All other parts brownish-black, lighter on the head and neck. Quills black, secondaries and tertiaries white at their bases; bill and feet yellow.
Dimensions. Female—total length, 3 feet 8 inches; wing, 2 feet 2 in.; tail, 1 foot 4 inches.
Hab. Russian-American Islands (Pallas); Japan (Temminck & Schegel). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This very large and powerful bird inhabits north-eastern Asia and the islands between that continent and America, and probably other parts of Russian-America. It is the largest of the Eagles, and appears to be related to the species immediately succeeding.
- 2. Haliaetus Washingtonii. (Aud.) The Washington Eagle.
- Falco Washingtonii. Aud. Orn. Biog., I. p. 58. (1831, plate pub. 1827)
- Falco Washingtoniana. Aud. Louden’s Mag., I. p. 115. (April, 1828)
Aud. B. of Am. pl. 11; oct. ed. I., pl. 13.
Large, “bill shortish, very deep, compressed; feet rather short, with the leg long; the tarsus short, rounded, anteriorly covered with transversely-narrow sentella, posteriorly with small tuberculous scales; feathers of the head, neck and breast narrow and pointed; wings long, second quill longest; tail of ordinary length, rounded, extending considerably beyond the tips of the wings, of twelve broad acute feathers.”
“Bill bluish-black, the edges pale, the soft margin towards the commissure, and the base of the under-mandible yellow; cere yellowish-brown; lore light greenish-blue; iris chestnut-brown; feet deep yellow; claws brownish-black; upper part of the head, hind neck, back, scapulars, rump, tail-coverts and posterior tibial feathers blackish-brown, glossed with a coppery tint; throat, fore-neck, breast and belly light brownish-yellow, each feather marked along the centre with blackish-brown; wing-coverts light grayish-brown, those next the body becoming darker and approaching the color of the back; primary quills dark-brown, deeper on their inner-webs; secondaries lighter, and on their outer-webs of nearly the same tint as their coverts; tail uniform dark-brown; anterior tibial feathers grayish-brown.”
Dimensions. “Length, 3 feet 7 inches; extent of wings, 10 feet 2 inches; bill, 3¼ inches along the back; along the gap which commences directly under the eye to the tip of the lower mandible, 3¼ and 1¾ deep; length of wing when folded, 32 inches; length of tail, 15 inches; tarsus, 4½; middle toe, 4¾; hind claw, 2½ inches.” Audubon as above.
Hab. Kentucky (Audubon); Western and Eastern? Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.?
Obs. The above description we regard as that of the young bird, and consider the adult as yet unknown. No specimen precisely corresponding to Mr. Audubon’s bird, has been obtained since its discovery, and it has latterly been looked upon by Naturalists, especially in Europe, as an unusually large specimen of the young white-headed Eagle. It is probably a western species, and would be readily recognized by the transverse scutellæ of the tarsi which are continued to the base of the toes.
- 3. Haliaetus albicilla. (Linn.) The Gray Sea Eagle. The European Sea Eagle.
- Vultur albicilla. Linn., Syst. Nat., I. p. 123. (1766.)
- Falco ossifraga et melanaetos. Linn., Syst. Nat., I. p. 124. (1766.)
- Haliaetus grœnlandicus. Brehm, Vog. Deuts., I. p. 16. (1831.)
Buff., Pl. Enl., 112, 415; Selby, Ill. Brit. Orn., pl. 3; Gould, B. of Eur., I. pl. 10.
Large, bill large, much hooked; wings long; tail moderate. Adult. Tail white; head and neck pale yellowish-brown, in some specimens very light; all other parts of the plumage dark umber-brown; quills nearly black; bill, feet and irides yellow. Younger. Bill brownish-black; irides brown; entire plumage dark-brown, with the tail mottled with white, much varying in extent; throat paler, and in some specimens nearly white.
Dimensions. Female—total length, about 3 feet to 40 inches; wing, 2 feet 3 inches; tail, 1 foot. Male—smaller.
Hab. Greenland (Fabricius, Holboll). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This Eagle, which is common in Europe, and breeds in cliffs on the sea-shore, we give as an inhabitant of Greenland. We have to say, however, that the only specimen from that country which we have ever seen, and which is a young bird, presents considerable variations from European specimens, and we consider it quite possible that Dr. Brehm is right in giving it specific distinction. The young of this bird resembles that of the succeeding species (H. leucocephalus), and the most readily-detected difference is its larger size and longer tarsi. The adults are, however, entirely dissimilar.
- 4. Haliaetus leucocephalus. (Linn.) The Bald Eagle. The White-headed Eagle.
- Falco leucocephalus. Linn., Syst. Nat., I. p. 124. (1766.)
- Falco pygargus. Daud., Traité, II. p. 62. (1800.)
- Falco ossifragus. Wilson, Am. Orn., VII. p. 16. (1813.)
Cat. Car., I. pl. 1; Buff., Pl. Enl., 411; Vieill., Ois. d’Am., Sept., I. pl. 3; Wils., Am. Orn., IV. pl. 36; VII. pl. 55; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 31, 126; oct. ed., I. pl. 14.
Large, but smaller than either of the preceding Eagles; bill large, strong, much hooked and sharp; wings long; tail moderate; tarsi rather short. Adult. Head, tail and its upper and under coverts white; entire other plumage brownish-black, in some specimens with the edges of the feathers paler; bill, feet and irides yellow. Younger. Entire plumage dark brown; throat paler; abdomen frequently with fulvous edgings on many feathers; bill brownish-black; iris brown; tail more or less mottled with white, which color in a more advanced stage extends over a large portion of the tail, especially on the inner webs of the feathers.
Dimensions. Female—total length, about 3 feet; wing, about 23 inches; tail, about 14 inches. Male—smaller.
Hab. All of North America; Oregon (Townsend); Florida (Bartram); Accidental in Europe. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. This handsome bird, which has had the honor of being adopted as the emblem of the United States, inhabits the whole of North America. It is very easily recognized when adult, and the young is not readily mistaken for that of any other American species except the immediately preceding.
III. GENUS PANDION. Savigny, Nat. Hist. Egypt, I. p. 95. (1809.)
Bill short, curved from the base, hooked, compressed; wings very long; tarsi short, very thick and strong, and covered with small circular scales; claws large, curved very sharp; tail moderate. Contains about three or four species nearly allied, inhabiting various parts of the world.
- 1. Pandion carolinensis. (Gen.) The Fish Hawk. The Osprey.
- Falco carolinensis. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. 263. (1788.)
- Aquila piscatrix. Vieill., Ois. d’Am. Sept., I. p. 29. (1807.)
- Pandion americanus. Vieill., Gal., I. p. 33. (1825.)
Vieill., Ois. d’Am. Sept., I. pl. 4; Cat. Car., I. pl. 2; Wilson, Am. Orn., V. pl. 37; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 81; oct. ed., I. pl. 15; Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 8, fig. 18.
Legs, feet and claws very strong. Adult. Head and entire under-parts white; wide stripe through the eye downwards, longitudinal stripe on the top of the head and occiput and entire upper parts of the body, wings and tail, deep umber-brown, generally with the feathers more or less edged with lighter brown; tail with about eight bands of blackish-brown, and with the greater parts of the inner-webs of its feathers white; breast with numerous cordate and circular spots of pale yellowish-brown; bill and claws bluish-black; tarsi and toes greenish-yellow. Young. Similar to the adult, but with the upper plumage edged and tipped with pale-brownish, nearly white.
Dimensions. Female—total length (of skin), about 25 inches; wing, 21½; tail, 10½ inches. Male—smaller.
Hab. Throughout North America; Texas (Woodhouse); Oregon (U. S. Ex. Exp. Vincennes). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. The American Osprey is very similar to that of the old continent (P. haliaetus), and specimens from Western America even more intimately resemble it. It is, however, larger, and retains in all the specimens that we have seen, differently-formed spots on the breast, being heart-shaped and circular, instead of narrow and lanceolate, as in the. European species. The Fish Hawk is abundant on the sea-coasts of the United States, and is one of the few rapacious birds of this country which are not molested.
IV. GENUS POLYBORUS. Vieillot, Analyse, p. 22. (1816.)
CARACARA. Cuvur. Reg. An., p. 316. (1817.)
Size smaller than the preceding; bill long, compressed, wide laterally; cere large; wings long, pointed; tail moderate, or rather long; tarsi long, rather slender, covered in front with large hexagonal and irregular scales, and laterally and horizontally with smaller; claws long, slightly curved, rather weak; space in front of and below the eye naked. Two species only form this genus, both of which are abundant birds of South and Central America.
- 1. Polyborus tharus. (Molina.) The Caracara Eagle. The Mexican Eagle.
- Falco tharus. Molina, Sagg. Stor. Nat. del Chili. (1782.)
- Falco cheriway. Jacquin, Beytr. Gesch. der Vogel, p. 17. (1784.)
- Falco brasiliensis. Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I. p. 262. (1788.)
- Falco plancus. Miller, Cimelia Physica.
- Polyborus vulgaris. Vieill., Nouv. Dict., V. p. 257. (1816.)
Jacq. Vog., pl. 4; Miller & Shaw, Cim. Phys., 2d ed., pl. 17; Vieill., Gal., I. pl. 7; Spix., B. of Bras., I. pl. 1, a; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 161; oct. ed., I. pl. 4; Swains. Zool. Ill., I. pl. 2; Gay’s Chili Orn., pl. 1.
Legs long; occipital feathers somewhat elongated. Adult. Head above, back, rump, wings, broad abdominal belt and tibiæ brownish-black; neck before and behind, sides of the head behind the eye, breast, upper and under tail-coverts yellowish-white; on the breast and neck behind finely barred transversely with black; tail for about two-thirds of its length white, with numerous narrow bars of black, and widely tipped with black; bill at base bluish; tip yellowish-white; tarsi and toes yellow. Younger. Head above dark-brown; other upper parts pale-brown, with paler edgings to many feathers; under-parts dark-brown, nearly all the feathers having longitudinal central stripes of dull white; throat yellowish-white; tail for the greater part and its coverts above and below white, with numerous transverse bands of pale ashy-brown, and tipped with brownish-black.
Dimensions. Female—total length (of skin), about 26 inches; wing, 17; tail, 10 inches. Male—larger?
Hab. Southern North America; Florida (Audubon); Texas; Mexico (McCall). Abundant in South America. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. The Caracara Eagle has been observed in Florida, and is an inhabitant also of Texas and Mexico. It walks on the ground with facility, and otherwise resembles the Vultures in its habits; and, like them, lives on dead animals for the greater part. The original edition of Molina, in which a scientific name is given to this bird for the first time since the adoption of the binomial nomenclature, we have not seen; but in his second edition, Preface, p. 1 (Bologna, 1810), it is stated to have been published in 1782. His name undoubtedly has priority.
We are inclined to the opinion that this bird, and several more or less nearly allied species of South America, belong properly to the family of Vultures;—of all the habits of which they partake. This opinion is supported somewhat by Molina’s statement, that of the present species the female is the smaller (2d ed., p. 221), as Humboldt and others have observed of the Condor, and as appears to be the case in the family of Vultures, but not in that of the Falcons.
V. GENUS MORPHNUS. Cuvier, Regne. Animal, I. p. 317. (1817.)
URUBITINGA. Less., Rev. Zool., 1839, p. 132.
SPIZOGERANUS. Kaup, Class., p. 120. (1844.)
Size medium; bill rather long, abruptly curved at the tip, which is acute; edges of upper mandible festooned; wings and tail long; legs long; tarsi and toes strong, the former with wide transverse scales in front; claws strong. A genus of American species, inhabiting the southern portion of the continent.
- 1. Morphnus unicinctus. (Temm.) Harris’ Buzzard.
- Falco unicinctus. Temm., Pl. col., I. p. (no page—livraison 53, about 1827.)
- “Falco anthracinus. Licht.” Gray, Genera, I. p. 27.
- Buteo Harrisii. Aud., Orn. Biog., V. p. 30. (1839.)
- Polyborus tæniurus. Tschudy, Wiegm. Archiv., X. p. 263. (1844.)
Temm., Pl. col., 313; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 392: oct. ed., I. pl. 5; Tschudy, Fauna Peruana Orn., pl. 1.
Legs long, and with the feet robust; wings rather short; tail long. Adult. Shoulders, wing-coverts and tibia chestnut-red or bay; other parts very dark umber-brown; upper and under tail-coverts white; tail white at its base, and tipped with white; middle portion presenting the appearance of a very wide band, dark brownish-black, with a reddish or violet tinge. Younger. Upper-parts umber-brown, much mixed with fulvous; shoulders chestnut-red, with dark-brown spots; quills dark-brown; secondaries tipped with yellowish-white; entire under-parts yellowish-white, many feathers on the breast, sides and abdomen, with large oblong and circular spots of brown; tibiæ yellowish-white, with transverse irregular lines of light brownish-red; upper and under tail-coverts white; tail brown, with many bands of a deeper shade of the same color, and with the inner-webs yellowish and reddish-white, and having many narrow bands of dark-brown; base and tip of the tail yellowish-white.
Dimensions. Female—total length, 22 to 24 inches; wing, 15; tail, 10 inches. Young male—total length, 20 inches; wing, 13; tail, 9½ inches.
Hab. Southern States; Mexico, abundant; Texas, frequent (Col. McCall); Mississippi, rare (Dr. Jenkins); Peru; Chili (Lieut. Gilliss); Chili, abundant (Gay, Fauna Chilena). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.
Obs. Col. McCall, who has seen this bird in large numbers in Texas, represents it as habitually frequenting the ground in the vicinity of water, and especially abundant on both sides of the Rio Grande. It is slow and heavy in flight, and a dull, sluggish bird in all its habits, partaking in these respects of the general characters of the Vultures.
The affinities of this species we regard at present as uncertain, and arrange it provisionally only in the present genus and sub-family, but by no means agreeing in our views with late European ornithologists.
The foregoing are all the birds of this family which can be regarded as well-established species inhabiting that portion of North America, within our prescribed limits.
Respecting their history, one of the most important questions to the naturalist is, the change of plumage from young to mature age, and another change which takes place in assuming their spring or summer and their winter liveries. The latter change is by no means well understood in many species, and to ascertain it completely in any one would yet be an interesting contribution to its history.
A few species are known only as of exceedingly rare occurrence in the United States, but the larger number are sufficiently numerous to be investigated without difficulty. Of the former, the Washington Eagle (Haliaetus Washingtonii), Harlan’s Buzzard (Buteo Harlani), the Black Hawk, the Rough-legged Hawk (Archibuteo sancti-johannis and lagopus,) and nearly all the Western species, may be regarded as particularly requiring further research.
In the winter season, various species resort to the sea-coast, and others to the margins of bays and rivers in considerable numbers. In the vicinity of the cities these have, however, greatly diminished since the introduction of steamboats and railroads. Steam-engines, and especially locomotives, are innovations for which the Eagles and Hawks evidently have no fancy. To the markets appropriated to the accommodation of farmers and traders from the rural districts in all the cities on the Atlantic seaboard, specimens are frequently brought for sale, a demand, reliable to some extent, having arisen from collectors and amateurs.
Occasionally an immense multitude of Hawks soaring high in the air, and in company, has been observed. This curious phenomenon has been seen by our friends, Professor Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington city; Dr. Hoy, of Racine, Wisconsin; and by ourselves. It occurs in autumn, and is probably incidental to migration; but its exact character and object is unknown, and involves an interesting inquiry. It is necessarily temporary, as the procuring of suitable food by such a large number of rapacious birds would be impossible.
In the western and northern regions of North America, the birds of this family are particularly worthy of the attention of the traveller and naturalist, and would undoubtedly well repay him in the discovery of unknown species. This is the case also in the States of Florida and Texas, to the latter of which, very probably, some of the many Mexican species are visitors, that have not yet been noticed.
In Oregon and Russian-America, there are also very probably species which have not been recognized as inhabitants of this continent, though well known as birds of Northern Asia, and others entirely unknown to naturalists.
B.
Doubtful and obscure species which have been described as inhabiting North America.
- 1. Falco americanus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 257. (1788.) The Black-cheeked Eagle. Pennant, Arctic Zoology, I. p. 227.
“With a dusky and blue-bill; yellow cere; head, neck and breast of a deep ash-color, each cheek marked with a broad black bar passing from the corner of the mouth beyond the eyes; back, belly, wings, and tail, black; legs yellow; feathered below the knees. Is about the size of the last (the Golden Eagle) North America,” (Pennant, as above.)
Of this bird, Gmelin gives a short abstract of Pennant’s description, and applies a scientific name. Naturalists relying solely on that abstract, have erroneously considered the species meant as the Golden Eagle (A. chrysaetus), and the name Falco americanus has accordingly been usually quoted as a synonyme. Though “feathered below the knees” is somewhat indefinite, yet, taken in connexion with “legs yellow,” it is clear that this cannot be the Golden Eagle, which has the tarsus densely feathered. There is no North American species known to which the original description applies.
- 2. Falco candidus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 258. (1788.) The Louisiana White Eagle. Lath., Syn., I. p. 36. Du Pratz, Hist. Louisiane, II. p. 109.
- Falco conciliator. Shaw, Gen. Zool. Aves., VII. p. 77. (1809.)
White; tips of the wings black. Smaller than the Golden Eagle.
This bird is represented by Du Pratz as held in high estimation by the aborigines of Louisiana, who used its feathers for ornamenting the calumet or symbol of peace. It may have been an albino of a known species, or distinct and now unknown. The description applies to a beautiful Mexican species, Buteo Ghiesbrectii (Dubus), which is about the size of the Red-tailed Hawk (B. borealis), and should it ever be observed in Louisiana, the question may be considered as settled.
- 3. Falco variegatus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 267. (1788.) The Speckled Buzzard. Lath., Syn., I. p. 97.
“Length more than 12 inches; in shape like our common buzzard. The bill is dusky; the whole head and neck as far as the shoulders whitish; the shaft of each feather blotched irregularly with rusty-brown; back and wing-coverts brown, several of the feathers, especially on the wing-coverts, are spotted with white; tail dark brown, crossed with several bars; but these are nearly obsolete, appearing on close inspection; the quills are very dark, almost black; the under parts from the breast are white; down the shaft of each feather is a blotch of brown; these marks spread out larger and broader as they proceed downwards to the belly; thighs pretty much the same; vent plain white; legs yellow; claws black. A fine specimen of this bird is in the Leverian Museum, which came from North America.” (Latham, as above.)
Generally cited as a synonyme for the Marsh Hawk, Circus hudsonius, with, as we think, but a small degree of propriety. It appears to us to be the young of either Buteo pennsylvanicus or Accipiter cooperii, or an unknown bird.
- 4. Falco albidus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 267. (1788.) The Buzzardet. Penn., Arct. Zool., I. p. 245.
“With dusky bill; head, cheeks, neck, breast and belly white, marked with large brown spots more sparingly dispersed over the breast and belly; lesser coverts brown; the others colored like the head; primaries dusky; thighs white, with small sagittal spots of brown; tail dusky, barred and tipped with white; legs yellow. Length, 15 inches. It has much the habit of the Buzzard, but the legs in proportion are rather longer. In the Leverian Museum. Except in the almost uniform color of the tail, Mr. Latham’s species, p. 97, No. 83, agrees with this (which is the preceding F. variegatus). North America.” (Pennant, as above.)
Probably the same as the preceding.
- 5. Falco obsoletus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 268. (1788.) The plain Falcon. Penn., Arct. Zool., I. p. 242.
“Bill black; head dusky; nape spotted with white; back and coverts of the wings and tail of an uniform deep brown; under-side of the neck, breast, belly and thighs deep brown, slightly spotted with white; primaries dusky; inner webs marked with great oval spots of white, mottled with brown; middle feathers of the tail plain brown; inner webs of the rest mottled with white; exterior webs and ends slightly edged with the same; legs strong; wing reaches near the length of the tail. Length, from bill to tail, 2 feet 1 inch. Inhabits Hudson’s Bay.” (Pennant, as above.)
We are acquainted with no bird to which this description and measurement apply.
- 6. Falco spadiceus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 273. (1788.) The Chocolate-colored Falcon. Penn., Arctic Zool., I. p. 234, pl. 9.
“With a short and black bill, and yellow cere. The whole plumage of a deep bay or chocolate color, in parts tinged with ferruginous; primaries black; the lower exterior sides of a pure white, forming a conspicuous spot or speculum; the wings reach to the end of the tail; the exterior sides of the five outermost feathers of the tail dusky; their inner sides blotched with black and white; the two middle black and cinereous; the legs and toes feathered, the last remarkably short. Length, 1 foot 10 inches. Inhabits Hudson’s Bay and Newfoundland. Preys much on ducks. Sits on a rock and watches their rising, when it instantly strikes at them.” (Pennant, as above.)
Regarded by authors as a synonyme for the Black Hawk (Archibuteo sancti-johannis), but the description suits better the Ferruginous Buzzard (A. ferrugineus). Neither of these has, however, the toes feathered, nor otherwise entirely agrees with the description. It may be an unknown species.
- 7. Falco obscurus. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 281. (1788.) The Dusky Falcon. Penn., Arct. Zool., I. p. 248.
“With a bluish bill; upper mandible armed with a sharp process; yellow cere; head, neck and coverts of the wings and tail dusky brown, slightly edged with ferruginous; hind part of the neck spotted with white; primaries dusky; inner webs marked with oval spots of a pale rust color; tail short, tipped with white, and barred with four broad dusky strokes, and the same number of narrow ones of white; the hind part of the head spotted with white; from the chin to the tail whitish, streaked downwards with distinct lines of black; legs deep yellow. Inferior in size to the last (F. dubius or fusca). Inhabits the province of New York.” (Pennant, as above.)
Cited by authors as a synonyme for the sharp-skinned Hawk (Accipiter fuscus), which seems to be erroneous, though correct enough if reference only be made to Gmelin’s compilation of Pennant’s description. The latter, as quoted above, and which is the original, appears to apply to Falco columbarius (Linn.), but not with sufficient accuracy to be without doubt, and we know of no bird at present inhabiting “the province of New York” that it entirely suits.
- 8. Aquila maculosa. Vieill., Ois d’Am. Sept., I. p. 28, pl. 3 bis. (1807.)
Upper part of the head, nape, neck, and mantle, black; eyebrow white, bordered by a black line from the eye; space between the bill and eye and cere blue, the former with scattered hairs; iris yellow; throat and breast white, every feather with a longitudinal central stripe of black; abdomen black, many feathers having circular spots of white; tibia and under tail-coverts ferruginous, with central spots of brownish; rump and upper tail-coverts white, with transverse stripes of black; quills and tail leaden gray above, light bluish-gray beneath; feet orange; claws blackish. Total length, about 25 inches; wing, 16; tail, 10 inches.
An excellent figure of this bird is given by Vieillot, as above, but which represents no species with which we are acquainted. In general appearance it resembles Phalcobænus carunculatus, Des Murs (Rev. et Mag. de Zool., April, 1853, p. 154), a South American species, of which specimens are in the collection of the Philadelphia Academy. Though given by Vieillot as a bird of North America (as above, and in Nouv. Dict., XXXII. p. 56), we suspect that he was mistaken.
- 9. Sparvius ardosiaceus. Vieill., Ency. Meth., III. p. 1274. (1823).
Body above, bluish slate color; beneath, ferruginous, with transverse white bands; chin white; bill bluish-black; feet orange; cere and edges of the mouth dull green; quills and tail brownish-black; eyebrows dull white; tail slightly forked. North America.
Possibly Accipiter fuscus, but we regard it as quite remarkable that Vieillot, at so late a date, should have again described that species, being undoubtedly well acquainted with North American birds. We recollect no bird which exactly suits this description.
- 10. Falco Bachmanii. Aud., Orn. Biog., V. p. 334. (1839, the date on the title-page of this volume is erroneously printed 1849.)
“I have several times seen in South Carolina a Hawk flying, equal in size to Falco lineatus, and remarkable for the great breadth of its wings. It was of a uniform brown color, excepting the tail, which was barred with white. The same bird has also been repeatedly observed by my friend, Dr. Bachman, who feels assured of its being distinct from any other Hawk hitherto found in North America.” (Audubon, as above.)
This is the entire and only description published and the species alluded to has never been identified, to our knowledge.
- 11. Milvus leucomelas. Rafinesque, Annals of Nature, part I. p. 4. (1820.)
“White, unspotted; top of head and part of the back, wings, tail, and bill, black; feet yellow. It is found in West Kentucky and Illinois; it feeds on fishes, and is therefore called Fishing Hawk. Size small, tail quite forked.” (Raf., as above.)
This is a puzzler. If any such bird exists, it has escaped late researches, though we very much suspect that Rafinesque ventured a description on reports, rather oddly confounding the Forked-tailed Hawk (Nauclerus) and the Osprey, or Fish Hawk (Pandion).
- 12. Aquila dicronyx. Rafinesque, Atlantic Journal, p. 63. (1832.)
The specimen described under this name was the same that is alluded to by Mr. Audubon in his article on the White-headed Eagle, in Orn. Biog., II. p. 163, as being kept in captivity in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and this description and its author he also alludes to. We mention this bird for the purpose of facilitating the student who may not have access to the works of Rafinesque, and for the purpose of pointing out a curious error into which Mr. Audubon and Dr. Harlan, as quoted by him, seem to have fallen, in regarding it as the White-headed or Bald Eagle (Haliaetus leucocephalus). It is expressly stated by Rafinesque to have been brought from “near Buenos Ayres,” and was evidently, from his description, the Circaetus coronatus of South America. This name is therefore by no means to be cited as a synonyme for Haliaetus leucocephalus.
- 13. Falco doliatus. Shaw, Gen. Zool., Aves., VII. p. 77. (1809.)
“Length ten inches; bill violet; cere, irides, and legs, yellow; tail marked with whitish bars more apparent beneath than above; under tail-coverts and flanks brown, with two or three round white spots on each side of the shaft; thighs ferruginous, with black shafts. Inhabits Carolina, observed by Bosc.” (Shaw, as above.)
Probably the young of either Hypotriorchis columbarius or Accipiter fuscus, but quite impossible to identify from such a meagre description.