_Accipiter mexicanus_, SWAINS. F. Bor.-Am. II, 1831, 45.—JARD.
(ed. WILS.) Am. Orn. II, 1832, 215.—BONAP. Consp. 32 (under _A.
fuscus_).—CASS. B. Cal. & Tex. 96.—IB. P. A. N. S. 1855, 279; Birds
N. Am. 1858, 17.—COOP. & SUCKL. P. R. R. Rep’t, VII, ii, 1860,
146.—COUES, P. A. N. S. Philad. 1866, 18.—GRAY, Hand List, I, 1869,
33.
_Adult male_ (12,024, Fort Tejon, Cal.; J. Xantus). Forehead, crown, and
occiput plumbeous-black, feathers of the latter with basal two-thirds
snowy-white, partially exposed. Upper plumage deep plumbeous, darkest
anteriorly, the back being scarcely lighter than the nape; rump
fine bluish-plumbeous. No concealed white on the upper parts. Tail
brownish-plumbeous, narrowly tipped with pure white, and with four
sharply defined broad bands of black,—the first of which is faintest,
and concealed by the coverts, the last broadest; shafts of tail-feathers
deep brown throughout. Primaries and secondaries much darker than the
tail, more bluish; less so, however, than the scapulars. Lores whitish,
quite in contrast with the black of the forehead; cheeks and ear-coverts
dark ashy, slightly washed with reddish, and with obscure darker
streaks; chin and throat white, with sparse hair-like shaft-streaks of
black. Breast, abdomen, sides, flanks, and tibiæ fine vinaceous-rufous;
feathers (except on tibiæ) with fine hair-like shaft-streaks of black
(much narrower than in _cooperi_); breast, abdomen, sides, and flanks
with pairs of transverse ovoid white spots, not touching the shaft;
on the abdomen the white and rufous bars are of about equal width; on
the tibiæ the rufous is deepest, and exceeds the white; anal region
barred with rufous, more faintly than the abdomen; lower tail-coverts
snowy-white. Sides of the neck deep reddish-ashy, this washing the
whole side of the breast. Lining of the wing reddish-white, with
numerous crowded, cordate, somewhat blended spots of rufous; larger
coverts transversely spotted with blackish; under side of primaries
silvery-white (blackish for about the terminal inch), crossed with
quadrate spots of blackish, of which there are about seven on the
longest quill (fourth); the basal ones are, however, so much broken,
that the number varies in different individuals.
_Young male_ (Fort Tejon, California). Forehead, crown, occiput, and
nape deep rusty-rufous; feathers with broad longitudinal streaks of pure
black. Rest of upper parts deep umber, darkest on the back; feathers
of back and rump, the upper tail-coverts, scapulars, and wing-coverts,
broadly bordered with rusty; scapulars with concealed white spots.
Tail ashy-umber, tipped (more broadly than in adult) with ashy-white,
crossed by four broad bands of brownish-black; the last (or subterminal)
of which is broadest, the first concealed by the coverts. Secondaries
and primaries similar in color to the tail, but darker; the first
showing five obsolete darker bands, and tipped (rather broadly) with
pale cinnamon-rufous. Ear-coverts and cheeks fulvous-white, thickly
streaked with dark brown. Lower parts white, washed with ochraceous on
jugulum and breast; each feather with a central longitudinal lanceolate
stripe of clear umber, the shaft of each black; these streaks are very
narrow on the throat, broadest on the breast and flanks. Tibiæ with
transversely ovate spots, and transverse bars of reddish-umber; lower
tail-coverts with narrow shaft-streaks of darker brown. Lining of wing
with cordate and ovate spots of dark brown.
_Young female_ (42,136, Orizaba, Mexico; M. Botteri). Similar to the
young male; feathers of back, etc., less broadly margined with rusty.
Ochraceous wash on lower parts more decided; stripes beneath broader
and less lanceolate; on the sides broadly ovate, and on the flanks in
form of broad transverse bars; tibiæ more thickly spotted transversely;
lower tail-coverts immaculate. Wing, 9.00; tail, 7.80; tarsus, 2.25;
middle toe, 2.50. Fourth quill longest; third shorter than fifth;
second intermediate between sixth and seventh; first, 2.90 shorter than
longest. Graduation of tail, .90.
HAB. Western region of North America; Mexico.