A History of North American Birds, Land Birds. Volume 3

Two young males from Tehuantepec, Mexico (Nos. 613 and 613, May 16, 1871; F. Sumichrast), differ from that described above in some remarkable respects: the upper parts are in one black, but without the rusty margins to the feathers; in the other, almost exactly as in the adult plumage described. The lower parts, however, are most different; the throat and jugular are uniform deep soft ochraceous, with a few longitudinal streaks of black near the black abdominal patch; the bars in this last are deep rufous, and the terminal band of the tail is also deep rufous. The weak bill, and soft, blended character of the plumage, indicate unmistakably the very young age of these specimens, which are also marked “very young” by M. Sumichrast.

In colors, as well as in size and form, this very handsome little Falcon closely resembles the F. severus, Horsf., of Manilla and the neighboring East Indian Islands; the main difference is that in that species the lower surface is wholly deep rufous, instead of partly black.

List of Specimens examined.—National Museum, 11; Boston Society, 6; Philadelphia Academy, 7; New York Museum, 3; G. N. Lawrence, 3; R. Ridgway, 2. Total, 32.

Measurements.—♂. Wing, 7.20–8.80; tail, 4.20–5.10; culmen, .45–.55; tarsus, 1.25–1.50; middle toe, 1.15–1.30. Specimens, 13. ♀. Wing, 8.50–9.00; tail, 5.00–5.50; culmen, .58; tarsus, 1.48–1.55; middle toe, 1.30–1.40. Specimens, 8.

Hab. Tropical America, northward through Central America and Mexico almost to southern border of United States.

Localities: Veragua, Scl. & Salv. 1869, 252.

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Falco (Æsalon) lithofalco, var. lithofalco (Gmelin). Accipiter lithofalco, Briss. Orn. I, 1760, 349. Falco lithofalco, Gmel. S. N. 1789, 278. Æsalon lithofalco, Kaup. Ueb. Falk. Mus. Senck. 258. Falco regulus, Gmel. S. N. 1798, 285. Accipiter æsalon, Briss. Orn. I, 1760, 382. Falco æsalon, Gmelin, S. N. 1789, 284.—Yarrell, Hist. Brit. B., ed. 1871, 74. Hypotriorchis æsalon, Gray, Gen. 1844, Sp. 10. Falco intermixtus, Daud. Tr. Orn. II, 1800, 141. Falco emerillus, Savigny, Descr. Egypt, Pt. I, 1809, 100. Falco sibiricus, Shaw, Zoöl. VII, 1812, 207. Falco cæsius, Meyer, Tasch. deutsch. Vög. I, 1810. Falco subæsalon, Brehm, Vög. Deutsch. I, 1831, 67.

Hab. Europe and Western Asia; Iceland.

List of Specimens examined.—National Museum, 8; Boston Society, 4; Cambridge Museum, 3; New York Museum, 2; Philadelphia Academy, 3. Total, 20.

Measurements.—♂. Wing, 7.60–8.00; tail, 5.10–5.30; culmen, .45–.50; tarsus, 1.35–1.45; middle toe, 1.15: specimens, 10. ♀. Wing, 8.60–9.00; tail, 6.00–6.30; culmen, .52–.55; tarsus, 1.45–1.47; middle toe, 1.20–1.25: specimens, 10.