-20G BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



much fartliei- nurtli, foi; it is rare in Maiiit()l)a, and is not found in 

 Alaska. 



Its food consists chiefly of small nianunals, insects, reptiles and 

 frogs, and it is not known ever to have touched poultry, so that on 

 this account it is placed in Class !>, the good work being in excess 

 of the evil. 



Okxus ARCHIBUTEO Bkkiim. 

 ARCHIBUTEO LAOOPUS SANCTI-J0HANNI8 (Gmel.). 



US. American Rough-leg^ged Hawk. (347«) 



Below, white, vaiiously tlaik coloit'd, aud (it'leu with a broad black abdo- 

 minal zone, but generally no ferruginous; above, l)i-o«u, varying from dark 

 chocolate in the adult to light innber in the young; the back, scapulars and 

 .shorter quills, strongly cinereous; the heatl above, more or less white, dark 

 .streaked: upper tail coverts and tail at base, white, the former tipped with 

 blackish; the latter barred near the tip with one. and sometimes with several 

 l)ands of black or dark brown. In this ])lumage the bird has l>een known 

 as A. layopii-1, the Rough -legged Buzzai-<1, while to a melanotic variety of tlii' 

 .same, found in this country only, the name saiicti-johainiis has been given. 

 Tliis variety is entirely glossy-V)lack, except the occiput, forehead, throat, inner 

 webs of quills, base of tail and broad tail-bars, white. As it is now generally 

 conceded that these are varieties of the same species, the original name. 

 /agopiis, is retained, and the American form considered a geographical variety 

 of the European characterized as variety sniirtl-jnhaintis. Length, about '1 

 feet; wing, 16-17; tail. S-Ki. 



H.\B. — Whole of North America nortli to .Mexico, l)icfding chiefly iimtli of 

 the United States. 



Nest, on trees or rocks, composed of sticks, grass, weeds and otiier material 

 matted together. 



Eggs, two oi- three, soiled white, l)l()tched with rcddisli-brown. 



Another large and powerful Vjird which, from some cause, seems 

 contented with vei'v lunnhle fai'c, li\ing cIiicHy on mice, lizards, 

 frogs, etc, while its appeai-ance would lead us to supj)ose it^ capable 

 of capturing much larger game. It is sometimes found in a melanotic 

 state, the plumage being nearly black, and in this gaib it was 

 formerly de.scribed as a distinct .s])ecies, but this idea has now been 

 abanfloned. 



It can always be recognized by the legs, which are feathered down 

 to the toes, the latter being short. 



In Southern Ontario this is oidy a visitor during the season of 

 migration, l)eing most plentiful in the fall, wiien it is often seen 



