362 ARCHIBUTEO LAGOPUS VAR. SANCTI-JOHANNIS. 



Buteo atei; Vieiix., Nouv. Diet. tl'Hist. Nat. iv, 1816, 482 ; Enc. Meth. iii, 1227, 



{}) Buteo "harlani, AxiD." (error), of the following New England writers: Emmons, Cat. 



B. Mass. 1835, p. 1 ; Peauody, Rep. Oru. Mass. 18159, 296 ; Putnam, Pr, Ess. 



lust, i, 1856, 225. See COUES, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 258. 



Hal). — Typical larjopus, European. Var. sancii-jolianim in North America at large; 

 rather northerly. The melanotic condition chiefly observed iu the Middle Atlautic 

 States, New England, and northward. 



List of specimens. 



The question, long agitated, of the relationship of our " Black " and " Rough-legged " 

 Hawks may be considered settled in favor of their specilic identitj', the Black Hawk 

 being simply the melanotic condition of the Rough-legged. There is nothing either 

 peculiar or remarkable in this, melanism being an afi'ection common to many or most 

 Hawks, independent of age, sex, season, or locality, and analogous to the rusty-red plum- 

 ages of Owls. It is curious, if not iustructive, to note, iu the history of the contro- 

 versy, how some authors have tried to make out two species upon wholly imaginary 

 differences in geographical distribution and migration, nay, also, in habits, such as 

 nidification, and even in the eggs ; while other authors, admitting the identity of the 

 two, have made each to be the old, and then the young of the other. The record is thus 

 highly susjiicious, upon a priori considerations ; and it has been proven groundless. 

 Specimens show every degree of melanism, from the first departure from normal lagopus 

 to the complete black dress ; and this is independent of age, sex, or season. 



The only qualification of these remarks that seems to be required is respecting the 

 areas of distribution of the melanotic form. As is well known, the normal lagopus 

 ranges across the country ; but, so far as I am aware, the black jilumage has not been 

 observed in any individuals from the far west. Dr. Cooper, indeed, gives '' sancti- 

 johannis" but with the remark that he never saw it in California. This is the moro 

 remarkable since in the West alone occur the dark (^'calurus") forms of horealis, while 

 the melanotic state of swaiiisoni (" insignatits") has there its chief development. 



As above noted, the Black Rough-legged Hawk is chiefly found in the Middle At- 

 lantic and New England States, and northward. According to my information, the 

 melanism has not been observed to occur in the European lagopus. This brings us to 

 consideration of the reliitionships of the American and European Archibuteo. The ma- 

 jority of writers have considered them identical ; and it is certain that normal lagopus 

 of this country cannot be specifically distinguished from the European bird. There 

 appear to be, however, slight discrepancies of the grade of those observed in the Hawk 

 Owls, the Marsh Hawks, and many other species common to both hemispheres, war- 

 ranting the recognition of geogi-aphical races. This is the view first taken, I believe, 

 by Mr. Ridgway, with whom I agree to sejiarate the American bird, in all its variety, 

 from the normal lagopus plumage to the perfect melanism, from the European, as a 

 geographical race, under the name above adopted. In the foregoing synonymy, it will 

 be observed, I unite the ^^ sancti-johannis" with the vaiious quotations of American 

 lagopus alone. G. R. Gray has already done substantiallj^ the same, but he makes spe- 

 cific distinction. Bonaparte, in 1850 {Conspectus), also separated our bird under name 

 of sancli-johannis, but he wrongly adduced the synonyms of A. fcrruginvus, which is 

 apiiarently a distinct species. 



Since Audubon remarked, in 1834, that lie bad never seen tbis species 

 west of tbe Allegbanies, its successive and repeated occurrences bave 

 entirely negatived sucb implied restriction of its range. It is found 

 tbrougbout tbe West — in tbe United States cbiefly iu winter, iu tbe fur 

 countries only in summer. Sir John Eichardson remarks tbat it arrives 

 in April or May, and departs in October. Its migrations appear to be 

 quite regular and exteusive — more so, perbaps, tbau is geuerally sup- 

 posed — tbougli probably it does not differ from most Hawks in tbis 

 respect. Birds ot tbis family' must follow tbeir prey, wberever tbis 

 leads tbem, and only a few of tbe more powerful species, able to prey 

 upon bares and Ptarmigan, pass tbe winter in our bigbest latitudes. 

 Tbe Eougb-legged is a ratber northerly species, rarely, if ever, breeding 

 witbin tbe limits of tbe United States, and becoming rarer toward its 

 soutberu terminus. On tbe Atlautic coast I bave no autbentic evidence 

 of its appearance soutb of tbe United States, tbe maritime portions of 

 wbicb may be regarded as its winter headquarters. It is represented 



