SP. CHAR. A miniature of _F. peregrinus_, var. _pealei_. Above, uniform
fuliginous-black, the secondaries and tail-feathers very narrowly but
sharply tipped with white, and the primaries passing into whitish
on their terminal margin; nuchal region with concealed spotting of
pale rusty or dingy whitish. Beneath, longitudinally striped with
fuliginous-black, or dark sooty-brown, and pale ochraceous; the former
predominating on the breast, the latter prevailing on the throat and
anal region. Sides and flanks nearly uniform dusky, with roundish white
spots on both webs; lower tail-coverts with a broad sagittate spot of
dusky on each feather. Lining of the wing fuliginous-dusky, with sparse,
small roundish spots of white. Inner webs of primaries plain dusky,
without spots, or else with them only faintly indicated. Tail plain
dusky-black, narrowly tipped with white, and without any bands, or else
with them only faintly indicated.
_Male_ (No. 4,477, Shoalwater Bay, Washington Territory; J. G. Cooper).
Wing, 7.35; tail, 5.25; culmen, .50; tarsus, 1.30; middle toe, 1.25.
_Female_ (No. 5,832, Fort Steilacoom, Washington Territory, September,
1856; Dr. George Suckley). Wing, 8.50; tail, 5.70; culmen, .55; tarsus,
1.62; middle toe, 1.35.
HAB. Coast region of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington
Territory (probably northward to Alaska). Puget Sound, Steilacoom,
Yreka, California (Oct.), and Shoalwater Bay (_National Museum_).
The plumage of this race is the chief point wherein it differs from the
other forms of the species; and in its peculiarities we find just what
should be expected from the Oregon region, merely representing as it
does the melanistic condition so frequently observable in birds from the
northwest coast.
The upper parts are unicolored, being continuous blackish-plumbeous
from head to tail. The tail is tipped with white, but the bars are very
faintly indicated, being in No. 4,499 altogether wanting, while in
21,333 they can scarcely be discovered, and only four are indicated;
in the others there is the usual number, but they are very obsolete.
In No. 4,499, the most extreme example, the spots on the inner webs of
the primaries are also wanting; the sides of the head are very thickly
streaked, the black predominating, leaving the superciliary stripe
ill-defined; the throat is streaked, and the other dark markings beneath
are so exaggerated that they cover all portions, and give the prevailing
color; the under tail-coverts have broad central cordate black spots.
Another specimen from this region (4,476, Puget Sound) is similar, but
the spots on primaries are conspicuous, as in examples of the typical
style; indeed, except in the most extreme cases, these spots will always
be found indicated, leading us to the unavoidable conclusion that the
specimens in question represent merely the fuliginous condition of
the common species; not the condition of _melanism_, but the peculiar
darkened plumage characteristic of many birds of the northwest coast,
the habitat of the present bird; it should then be considered as rather
a geographical race, co-equal to the _Falco gyrfalco_, var. _labradora_,
_F. peregrinus_, var. _pealei_, and other forms, and not confounded with
the individual condition of _melanism_, as seen in certain species of
_Buteones_.