This beautiful little Falcon is the smallest of the American Hawks, being only 10 inches in length. They are very abundant in the east, nesting anywhere in cavities in trees, either in woods or open fields. The eggs are generally deposited upon the bottom of the cavity with no lining; they are creamy or yellowish buff in color, sprinkled, spotted or blotched in endless variety, with reddish brown. Size 1.35 × 1.10. These birds are very noisy, especially when the young are learning to fly, uttering a loud, tinkling, "killy, killy, killy." They have a very amiable disposition, and frequently nest harmoniously in the same tree with other birds, such as Flickers and Robins. 360b. ST. LUCAS SPARROW HAWK. _Falco sparverius peninsularis._ Range.--Lower California. This variety is smaller than the eastern, and even paler than the western form. Eggs identical with eastern specimens. 361. CUBAN SPARROW HAWK. _Falco sparveroides._ A darker colored West Indian form, whose habits and nesting do not vary from those of the common Sparrow Hawk; casually taken in Florida. [Illustration 224: Buffy.] [Illustration: Sparrow Hawk.] [Illustration: Egg of Golden Eagle.] [Illustration: left hand margin.] Page 223 [Illustration 225: SPARROW HAWK.] Page 224 362. Audubon Caracara. _Polyborus cheriway._ Range.--Southern border of the United States south to South America. A strikingly marked blackish and whitish species, much barred on the fore back and the breast, with the head and throat largely white, except for a black and somewhat crested crown. They are numerous in southern Texas and also in the interior of southern Florida, where they are resident. They build bulky, but shabby nests of sticks, weeds and grass, piled into a promiscuous heap, generally located in bushes or low trees. Their two or three eggs have a ground color varying from buff to bright cinnamon, and are dotted and blotched with all shades of brown and umber. On the whole, these eggs show a greater diversity of markings and ground color than those of any other species. Size 2.50 × 1.80. 363. GUADALUPE CARACARA. _Polyborus lutosus._ Range.--Guadalupe Island and others off Lower California. This species is somewhat like the preceding, but the plumage is duller, and the coloration more uniform. Their nesting habits and eggs do not vary essentially from those of Audubon Caracara. Mr. John Lewis Childs has a set of two eggs taken June 8, 1896, on Santa Anita Island, by Coolidge and Miller. The nest was made of sticks and situated in a giant cactus. The eggs are slightly brighter and more clearly marked than any of cheriway that I have ever seen. [Illustration 226: Audubon's Caracara.] [Illustration: Cinnamon.] [Illustration: deco.] [Illustration: left hand margin.] Page 225 OSPREY. Family Pandionidae 364. OSPREY. _Pandion haliætus carolinensis._ Range.--Whole of temperate America from the Arctic circle south to the equator, most abundant along the sea coasts.