_Falco harlani_, AUD. B. Am. 1831, pl. xxxvi; IB. Orn. Biog. I,
441.—BREWER (WILS.), Am. Orn. Synop. 1852, 684. _Buteo harlani_,
BONAP. List, 1838, 3.—AUD. SYNOP. 1839, 6.—GRAY, List B. Brit. Mus.
18.—DE KAY, Zoöl. N. Y. II, 11.—STRICKL. Orn. Syn. I, 30.—CASS. Birds
N. Am. 1858, 24 (adult, but not the description of young, which is
that of _B. borealis_, var. _calurus_).—COUES, P. A. N. S. 1866,
43.—GRAY, Hand List, I, 7 (under _B. borealis_).—RIDGWAY, P. A. N. S.
Dec. 1870, 142.—COUES, Key, 1872, 216.
SP. CHAR. Form strong and heavy, like _B. borealis_, but still more
robust; tibial plumes unusually developed, long and loose, their
ends reaching to or beyond the base of the toes; lateral toes nearly
equal. Four outer primaries with inner webs cut. Dimensions: Wing,
14.25–15.75; tail, 8.80–10.00; culmen, 1.00; tarsus, 2.75–3.25; middle
toe, 1.50–1.70. Colors: Nearly uniform black, varying from a sooty to a
carbonaceous tint, with more or less of concealed pure white. _Adult._
Tail confusedly mottled longitudinally, with grayish, dusky, and white,
often tinged or mixed with rufous, the different shades varying in
relative amount in different individuals; a subterminal band of black.
_Young._ Tail grayish-brown, crossed by about nine very regular and
sharply defined, broad bands of black, about equal in width to the gray
ones.
_Adult male_ (Lawrence, Kansas, Oct., 1871; in Collection of Kansas
University). General color deep, almost carbonaceous, black, showing
much exposed white on the head, neck, and breast, all the feathers of
which are snowy white beneath the surface, the black being merely in
the form of tear-shaped spots on the terminal portion of the feather;
chin, lores, and front pure white; upper parts in general, the posterior
lower parts and the lining of the wing, with the black unbroken, but
all the feathers—except the under wing-coverts—more or less spotted
with white beneath the surface, on a grayish ground; these spots being
usually arranged in pairs on each side of the shaft, on the flanks;
tail-coverts, above and below, spotted irregularly with bright rufous,
in nearly equal amount with the black and white. Alulæ, primary coverts,
and primaries, with quadrate spots of plumbeous on their outer webs,
forming transverse bands; under surface of primaries plumbeous-gray
except at ends, but much broken by coarse marbling of white, this
prevailing anteriorly, where it is much confused, but posteriorly about
equal with the grayish, and exhibiting a tendency to form quadrate
spots. Tail, with the ground-color white, but this nearly hidden on the
upper surface by a longitudinal mottling of dark and light ashy, this
growing more uniform terminally, where it becomes slightly suffused with
reddish and crossed by a subterminal, broad but broken and irregular,
band of black, the tip again very narrowly grayish and reddish.
[Illustration: =6851.= ½
_Buteo harlani._]
Wing-formula, 4, 3, 5–2, 6; 1=10. Wing, 15.00; tail, 8.80; culmen, 1.00;
tarsus, 2.75; middle toe, 1.50; lateral toes equal. Plumage of the
flanks, abdomen, tibiæ, and crissum remarkably lengthened and lax, the
latter reaching within two inches of the tip of the tail, and the tibial
plumes reaching to the base of the toes.
_Adult female_ (6,851, Rio Grande, lat. 32°; Dr. T. C. Henry, U. S. A.).
Whole plumage purplish black, or chocolate-black, with a purplish
lustre; feathers everywhere pure white at bases, this exposed, however,
only on the occiput, or where the feathers are disarranged. Forehead,
lores, and chin white. Secondaries and primaries more brown than
other portions, crossed by distinct bands of black,—about six on the
secondaries. Whole lining of the wing and upper tail-coverts continuous,
unvariegated black. Under surface of the primaries ashy-white, more
slaty terminally; ends with distinct, and other portions with obsolete
mottled, bars of dusky. Tail ashy-brown on outer webs, white on inner;
both with a confused, rather longitudinal mottling of blackish;
terminally, there is a broad nearly continuous subterminal band
indicated by blotches, these mixed very slightly with a rufous tinge.
Primaries injured by shot, therefore proportions of the quills cannot be
determined. Wing 15.75; tail, 9.10; culmen, 1.00; tarsus, 2.90; middle
toe, 1.60; outer, 1.15; inner, 1.15.
_Young_ (Phil. Acad. Coll.; San Antonio, Texas, 1860; Dr. A. L.
Heermann). Like the preceding, but basal white rather more exposed, and
somewhat fulvous on the breast; the sides, axillars, lining of the wing,
and lower tail-coverts have very obsolete transverse spots of the same.
Under surface of primaries unvariegated silvery white anterior to their
emargination, beyond which they are more hoary, along the edge black,
this portion with about five transverse spots of black. Tail grayish
ashy-brown to the tip, crossed with about nine very sharply defined
bands of black, of equal width with the gray ones. Lores grayish-white.
Wing-formula, 4, 3, 5–2–6–7–8=1. Wing, 14.25; tail, 10.00; tarsus, 3.25;
middle toe, 1.70.
HAB. Southern Mississippi Valley, from Louisiana (Aud.) and Texas (Mus.
S. I.); north to Eastern Kansas (Coll. Kansas Univ.).
Localities quoted: Guatemala (SCLATER, Ibis I, 216 (?)); Arizona (COUES,
P. A. N. S. 1866, 43).
There is not a doubt in my mind as to the propriety of separating this
bird from any close relationship to the _B. borealis_, nor of the
correctness of considering it the _B. harlani_ of Audubon. It only can
be referred to Audubon’s plate and description, both of which agree
perfectly with the younger plumage described.
The specimens Mr. Cassin describes as the “adult” _B. harlani_ are
really such; but those which he describes as the “young” are the
young of the Western Red-tail (_B. borealis_ var. _calurus_). The
California specimens to which Mr. Cassin refers, as identified by Mr.
Lawrence as _B. harlani_, are in reality the melanistic condition of _B.
swainsoni_, or the “_insignatus_” of Cassin. The present bird appears to
be restricted to Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and adjacent portions,
north to Kansas, and probably Eastern Mexico.
HABITS. This Hawk was first described by Audubon from a pair obtained by
him near St. Francisville, Louisiana. They had bred in that neighborhood
for two seasons, were shy and difficult of approach, and for a long
while eluded his pursuit. The female was shot while sailing over his
head, and wounded in the wing. He endeavored to preserve it alive and to
carry it as a present to the Zoölogical Society, but it refused all food
and died in a few days. This specimen is now in the British Museum. The
male bird was also obtained a few days later, and this too was brought
to him yet alive but also wounded. It was even more fierce and wilder
than the female, would erect the feathers on its head, open its bill,
and prepare to strike with its talons when any object was brought near
to it.
This species, though smaller than the Red-tail, to which he regarded it
as allied, Audubon thought greatly superior to it in flight and daring.
Its flight is described as rapid, greatly protracted, and so powerful
as to enable it to seize the prey with apparent ease, or effect its
escape from its stronger antagonist, the Red-tail, which pursued it on
all occasions. It had been seen to pounce upon a fowl, kill it almost
instantly, and afterwards drag it along the ground several hundred
yards. It was not seen to prey on hares or squirrels, but seemed to
evince a marked preference for poultry, partridges, and the smaller
species of wild duck. He saw none of the young, but was told that they
appeared to be of a leaden-gray color at a distance, and at the approach
of winter became as dark as their parents.
Mr. Dresser states that he noticed this bird on several occasions near
San Antonio but was not fortunate enough to shoot one. He received
one specimen that had been shot by a lad on the Medina River. He was
informed by a man living near there, who was a good sportsman and a
careful observer, that he had several times found their nests, and Dr.
Heermann is said to have obtained the eggs there several years before.
Dr. Coues did not meet with it in Arizona, where it probably, however,
will yet be found. Specimens have been received from Mexico, as is
stated by Cassin, and a Buzzard, which Mr. Salvin referred to this
species, was seen by him near Dueñas, where it was by no means common.
A specimen of this species has recently been taken in Kansas, near
Lawrence, as recorded by Professor Snow, and fully identified at the
Smithsonian Institution.
Buteo cooperi, CASSIN.