Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

102 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
grounds. Four specimens that I secured have the following characteristics
: An adult male shot at Victorica, Pampa, on December
28, 1920, a breeding bird, has the tip of the tail mixed rufous and
white, the black subterminal band 12 mm. wide at its widest point,
the inner web of the outer rectrix rufescent, unmarked save for the
subterminal bar, and the following measurements : Wing, 186 ; tail,
128 mm. It thus has the color markings of cintiamoTnina, but is
smaller than most of that form. A female taken at Guamini, Buenos
Aires, March 8, 1921, has the black tail bands interrupted centrally,
very slightly restricted, and the following measurements: Wing,
197.5; tail, 130.5 mm. It is within the limit of measurement for
cinnamomina, but is more boldly marked. An adult male shot at
Las Palmas, Chaco, July 27, 1920, has the tips of the tail without
rufous, the subterminal band 16-17 mm. wide, the outer rectrix
with the inner web partly white, with one black spot in addition
to the subterminal band, the wing 190 and the tail 128 mm. The
bird thus slightly approaches australis in coloration, but is large.
An adult breeding male from San Vicente, in eastern Uruguay, taken
January 25, 1921, has the tip of the tail rufous, the subterminal
band 16 mm. wide, the external rectrix with two bars on the white
and rufous inner web, the wing 189 and the tail 123 mm. This bird
from its geographic position might be supposed to be near australis^
but seems as near cinnamomina as the others. From the review
above it will be seen that these specimens are all more or less inter-
mediate, but I have considered them all nearer cinnamomina than
atis trails.
Las Palmas, Chaco,
The sparrow hawk was recorded as follows :
July 16 to August 1, 1920 ; Riacho Pilaga, Formosa, August 21 ; Formosa,
Formosa, August 23 and 24; Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay, September
1 to 20 ; General Roca, Rio Negro, November 23 and 27 ; Vic-
torica, Pampa, December 24 to 29; La Paloma, Uruguay, January 23,
1921; San Vicente, Uruguay, January 25 to February 2; Lazcano,
Uruguay, February 5 to 9; Rio Negro, Uruguay, February 17 and
18; Guamini, Buenos Aires, March 3 to 8; Mendoza, Mendoza,
March 13; Potrerillos, Mendoza, March 16 to 21; Tunuyan, Men-
doza, March 23 to 29
; Tapia, Tucuman, April 6 to 13.
Wherever found the bird was recorded as a watchful observer
from some commanding perch from which it had a clear outlook
over open country. In the breeding season it circled about scream-
ing killy hilly hilly., but at other seasons it was silent, only taking
wing when too closely pressed. Occasionally in the Chaco I saw one
stooping swiftly at some inoffensive Ileterospizlas at rest in a tree
top that perhaps had roused the ire of the smaller bird through the
usurpation of a favored perch. At Kilometer 80, near Puerto Pi-
nasco, sparrow hawks seemed to be nesting on September 7, but in