146 BUTEO LAGOPUS. 



observe it In Labrador. According to the latter, it is a 

 slug-gish bird, remaining for hours perched on a stake 

 in the low grounds bordering a river or salt-marsh, 

 unless some wounded bird should come in sight, when 

 it pursues it. Its principal food, he continues, is small 

 quadrupeds, frogs, and sometimes birds, and it is more 

 nocturnal than any other hawk found in the United 

 States ; its large eyes and downy plumage fitting it, in 

 his opinion, as in Dr Richardson's, for twilight excur- 

 sions. 



Remarks. — The great breadth of the head both in 

 this species and the preceding, becomes especially ap- 

 parent, when we compare these birds with the Iceland 

 and Peregrine Falcons, which, although equally large 

 birds, have the head much smaller. The Rough-legged 

 Buzzard seems to me to have a more warlike appear- 

 ance than his brother the Common Buzzard, and I have 

 my suspicions that justice has not been done to him in 

 respect to his courage and rapacity. Like certain other 

 bipeds, however, notwithstanding his boots and whiskers, 

 he may really be less ferocious than he seems to be. 

 Yet as he has the semblance of a brave, and must at 

 ail events be a hardy fellow, I cannot be far wrong in 

 placing him next to the noble Falcons, which, in form 

 and accoutrements, are much more dasliing. 



The genus Pandion has necessarily been placed after 

 the Aquilae and Haliaeti, to both of which it is allied ; 

 but Buteo being intimately connected with Aquila, has 

 been placed after Pandion, which ought properly, per- 

 haps, on account of the thickness of its bill, to intro- 

 duce Falco. The latter genus therefore comes next ; 



