AVES. 303 



high trees, and it is ^vhen rearing their young that they are most destructive. 

 They are destroyed without mercy by our agricultural population, and are be- 

 coming rare, as resident birds, in the more densely ^p'ulated districts ; but 

 vfhen the rigors of Avintcr urge them to more excursive habits they are fre- 

 quently met Avith. A smaller species is also occasionally seen in all the 

 Northern States ; it is the broad-winged hawk of Wilson {B. peumylvairiais). 

 It is a handsome plumaged and rather graceful bird, and comparatively harm- 

 less in its habits. 



Of the European species the common buzzard, B. vulgaris {pi. 104, /o-. 8), 

 is the best known. In disposition and general history it is much like the 

 common species of America. It is frequently met with in England and Scot- 

 land, and is disseminated over the whole continent ; it has been observed to 

 prey upon almost every description of small animals. 



The genus Archihuteo comprises several fine species which have the legs 

 completely feathered to the toes, and Avhich are restricted to Europe and North 

 America. Here is classed the black hawk of Wilson {A. sancti-johannis, Gm., 

 A. 7iio-er, Wils.), a common species, though rarely seen in mature plumage, 

 which is perfectly black ; also another western species {A. ferriigineus, Licht.) 

 which has recently become known. 



Closely allied to the American black hawk, and resembling it in a remark- 

 able degree when in young plumage, is the rough-legged buzzard of Europe 

 {A. lagopiis\ a well known species disseminated over the entire continent, but 

 appearing only occasionally in the south of England. Its history is little 

 known. 



Several of the South American species of this sub-family are remarkable 

 for a beautiful white and black plumage, such as Buteo melanops and B. 

 2)CEcilo7iotus ; and one Mexican species is almost perfectly pure white, though 

 the name is not so attractive, being Buteo ghreshreghtii 



The African and Asiatic species are not numerous. Of the former may be 

 mentioned several first made known by the celebrated Le Vaillant, such as 

 CirccBtus ihoracicus and Buteo hacha ; and of the latter, Buteo pliimipes 

 and others. 



Suh-fam. '3. Aquilincc, or the Eagles. Bill moderate, rather lengthened 

 and large, compressed, margins more or less festooned ; nostrils large ; wings 

 long and generally pointed ; tail long, ample, and usually rounded at the tip ; 

 tarsi and feet very strong, the former more or less feathered, the latter and 

 generally part of the former covered with very distinct scales : claws very 

 strong, much curved and acute, that of the inner toe strongest. Size large, 

 flight generally very rapid and vigorous. 



The eagles are distributed over the entire surface of the globe, and the 

 typical species, the golden eagle, Aqu'da chrysaetos, Linn. {pi. 105, Jig. 1), is 

 common to the northern parts of both continents ; which is also the case with 

 the typical fishing eagle, better knoAvn in the United States as the bald 

 eagle, Haliaetus leucocephalus, though it is rarely met with in the old 

 world. 



The eagles have been celebrated since the earliest times for their 

 extraordinary vigor of flight, their large and graceful figure, and, we may 



507 



