272 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



these trees were in deep snowdrifts at some distance from the rocky 

 shore. Some of the rock nests were built on big blocks of solid rock 

 that lie plentifully all along the coast. The nests were frail affairs, 

 although they had apparently been used for many years. I do not 

 think that any of them were larger than the average crow's nest."] 



Eggs. — [Author's note: The rough-legged hawk lays large sets, 

 often as many as four or five and sometimes six, but oftener three 

 or four and rarely only two. Major Bendire (1892) gives the fol- 

 lowing very good description of them : 



Some are ovate, many short ovate, and otliers rounded ovate. The ground 

 color in the more recently collected specimens is a pale greenish white, which 

 appears to fade out in time, leaving the egg a dull dingy white. The shell is 

 close grained and strong. There is an endless variety in the markings, both in 

 regard to size and amount, in different specimens. In some they are fairly 

 regular in shape as well as size, in others exactly the reverse. In some they 

 are well defined, evenly colored throughout; in others quite clouded and of 

 different tints. A few specimens are streaked and the markings run longi- 

 tudinally from end to end. The spots and blotches consist of various shades 

 of brown, the predominating tints being burnt umber and claret brown, and 

 among these are mixed lighter shades of ochraceous, clay, fawn color, and 

 6cru-drab. Quite a number of specimens show also handsome shell markings 

 of a rich heliotrope purple and pale lavender, mixed in and partly overlaid 

 with darker tints. In many eggs the blotches are large and irregular in out- 

 line, and usually heaviest on the large end, but in no case do they hide the 

 ground color. Others are regularly and sparingly marked over the entire egg, 

 with fine dots of different shades of brown and lavender, giving the egg a 

 flea-bitten appearance. While some eggs are but slightly marked, none are 

 entirely un.spotted. 



The measurements of 50 eggs average 56.6 by 44.9 millimeters ; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 62 by 46.5, 59 by 48.5, and 

 42.5 by 38 millimeters.] 



Young. — Incubation is performed by both sexes, and its duration 

 is generally stated as 4 weeks or 28 days (Burns, 1915). Lucien M. 

 Turner in his unpublished notes stated that in the region of Fort 

 C'himo, Ungava, "the young are hatched by July 20, a week earlier 

 or later according to circumstances, and are able to fly by the first 

 week in September. The young appear to be able to take care of 

 themselves as soon as they leave the nest." 



Plumages. — [Author's note: The downy young, when small, is 

 well covered with long, thick, white down, tinged with "pale olive- 

 buff" on the head and with "vinaceous-buff" on the back. A larger 

 downy young is largely "smoke gray" on the upper parts and whiter 

 below. The down also covers the front and sides of the tarsus. 



The only large nestling I have seen is a young bird acquiring the 

 Juvenal plumage of the dark phase; it was taken in Alaska in July 

 and is nearly fully grown and nearly fully feathered, but there is 

 a large patch of white down on the upper breast and some on the 



