226 AKCHIBUTEO SANCTI JOHANNIS — BLACK HAWK. 



ment until it becomes apparent, after several moultings, to 

 which species they belong. Wilson regarded the species as 

 distinct, but Audubon was of a dift'erent opinion. 



The Black Hawk cannot be regarded as injurious to the 

 interests of man, as he feeds on frogs, lizards, meadow mice, 

 moles, &c., occasionally capturing a wounded duck or teal, 

 but does not visit the farm yard in pursuit of poultry. His 

 favorite hunting grounds are swamps, the banks of rivers or 

 1 'ike's, and marshes in the neighborhood of the sea. In such 

 places his food is abundant and easily procured. His flight 

 is not rapid, and he never attempts to capture birds by this 

 means. Endowed with great size and strength, his habits 

 are more like those of an owl than a falcon, and he pursues 

 his game long after sunset, in dusky twilight. 



The plumage of our Hawk is more soft than that of other 

 Buzzards or Hawks, and in this there is a resemblance to 

 the Owls, and the same maj^ be said of the feathered tarsi. 



Having no set of specimens of this bird, from which a 

 description can be given, we subjoin that of Oassin's Sy- 

 nopsis : 



""Large, and rather heavy; wings long; tarsi feathered, a 

 narrow space naked behind; toes naked and rather short. 



''''Adult. — Entire plumage glossy black, in many speci- 

 mens, with a brown tinge ; forehead, throat and a large space 

 on the head behind mixed with white. Tail with one well 

 defined band of white, and irregularly marked towards the 

 base with the same color. Quills with their inner webs 

 white, most readily seen on the under surface of the wing. 

 Some specimens have several well defined bands of white 

 in the tail. Others have the entire plumage dark chocolate 

 brown, with the head more or less striped with yellowish 

 white and reddish yellow. Cere and legs yellow. 



" Younger. — Upper parts light umber brown, with the 

 feathers more or less edged with yellowish white and red- 

 dish yellow; abdomen with a broad transverse band of 



