84 FALCONIDE. 



were too wary to allow us to come within gun-shot. In 

 the softness and fulness of its plumage, its feathered legs, 

 and habits, this bird bears some resemblance to the Owls. 

 It flies slowly, sits for a long time on the bough of a tree, 

 watching for mice, frogs, &c. and is often seen skimming 

 over swampy pieces of ground, and hunting for its prey by 

 the subdued daylight, which illuminates even the midnight 

 hours in the high parallels of latitude. Wilson observes, that 

 in Pennsylvania it is in the habit of coursing over the mea- 

 dows long after the sun has set. It is fitted for this nocturnal 

 chase by the softness of its plumage, which contributes to 

 render its flight noiseless, like that of an Owl."" 



The whole length of the specimen figured was twenty- four 

 inches ; the beak black ; the cere and irides yellow ; the top 

 of the head, the checks, nape, and upper part of the neck, 

 pale buff, each feather streaked or patched in the centre with 

 dark brown .■; the back, wings, Aving-coverts, and rump, clove 

 brown, some of the feathers edged with fawn colour ; prima- 

 ries brownish black, the fourth the longest, the first and se- 

 venth equal in length ; upper tail-coverts buffy white, with 

 an angular brown patch near the end of each feather; upper 

 surface of the tail-feathers bufFy white on the proximal half 

 of their length, the distal half brown. The chin, throat, and 

 breast, fawn colour, tinged with ferruginous, streaked and 

 patched with brown ; the belly almost uniform clove brown ; 

 thighs and tarsi to the junction of the toes covered with 

 feathers of fawn colour spotted with brown : the toes with 

 three broad scales at the base of the claw, yellow ; the 

 claws or nails black : under surface of wing-primaries to 

 the end of the broad part of the inner web white, from 

 the emargination brownish black : under tail-coverts uni- 

 form bufFy white ; proximal half of the under surface of the 

 tail-feathers white, the distal half greyish brown. 



