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.