36 NORTH AMERICAN OOLOGY. PART I s> 



ARCHIBUTEO LAGOPUS. 



Falco lagopus, GMELIN, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 260. 

 " " WILS. Am. Orn. IV, 1812, 59, pi. xxxiii, fig. 1. 



BONAP. Syn. 1828, p. 32. 

 " RICH. & SWAINS. F. B. A. II, 1831, 52. 

 AUD. Orn. Biog. II, 1835, 377, pi. clxvi. 

 Archiluteo lagopus, GOULD, Birds of Europe, I, pi. xv. 



" CASSIN, Syn. N. A. Birds (Illust. Birds of Cal.), 1854, p. 104. 



VULG. The Rough-legged Hawk. Rough-legged Falcon. 



As no specific differences are observable between this and the European species, 

 I see no good reason for not regarding them as identical, though it has been usual to 

 consider our lagopus as the immature bird of the preceding. 1 The observations of 

 my nephews, Dr. H. R. Storer and Mr. F. H. Storer, in Labrador, satisfied them 

 that these species are not mature and immature birds of the same species, but quite 

 distinct birds in their character, habits, and general appearance. The Black Hawk 

 is a bold, spirited bird, easy and swift in its motions, preying upon other birds. The 

 Rough-leg is comparatively sluggish, inoffensive, and tamable, feeding upon mice, 

 rats, frogs, and other inferior game. With their views I am disposed to accord. 



To the supposition that it is the young or immature bird of the preceding species, 

 I object, that the egg of the sancti-johannis is manifestly different from that of the 

 lagopus, and that, so far as it is known, the mode of nesting of the two birds is 

 also unlike. The American representative of this species breeds on rocky cliffs near 

 the sea ; the European is said to nest in trees. 



The only egg of the lagopus that has been obtained in this country, so far as I 

 am aware, was taken by my nephew from a nest on the cliffs, near the harbor of 

 Bras-d'Or, on the coast of Labrador. The nest contained at the time three young- 

 birds, besides one egg unhatched. The young Hawks were just ready to fly, and 

 forsook the nest when approached. As they flew, they rolled out an unhatched egg- 

 to the bottom of the cliff, but fortunately without destroying it. The nest was 

 rudely constructed of sticks, and was on a high rock, over the water. BeloAV it the 

 cliff was steep and inaccessible, but was easily approached from above. In the nest 

 at the time were four or five of the large rats peculiar to Labrador, procured by the 

 old birds for their young. In this case, the parent birds were ascertained to be in 

 the plumage of the lagopus. At the same time, a, young bird, taken alive by one of 

 the sailors of the party, and evidently a sancti-johannis, was quite black, even in its 

 immature plumage, and was fierce, untamable, and in all its characteristics very 

 different from the Rough-legged. 



In the breeding season this Hawk is found only in the more northern parts of 

 the continent. In the winter, however, it is to be met with nearly throughout the 



1 Mr. Cassin, in his Synopsis of the Falconidse, gives the lagopus as a distinct bird, at the same time 

 remarking that it is usually regarded by naturalists as the young of the sancti-johannis, and adds that 

 his only reason for giving it thus is, that, after careful comparison and examination of numerous speci- 

 mens, he finds it absolutely impossible to distinguish it by any character whatever from the European 

 bird. 



