192 



ably it. does not differ fynm hawks in this respet-t. Birds nf 

 Ihi.-; family must follow thoir prey, wherever this leads 'hem, 

 and only a few of the more powerful species, able to prey upon 

 hares and ptarmig-an, pass the winter in our highest latitudes. 

 Thf Rough-legged is a rather northerly species, rarely, if ever, 

 breeding within the limits of the T'nited Stales, and becom- 

 ing rarer towards its southern terminus." — Coues. 



AN ERROR CORRECTED. 



I desire to correct here an error which was made, 

 l)ut through no fault of mine, in the first issue of the 

 r«irds of Pennsylvania, pp. 92-93, where I staled, on 

 tlie authority of Jfr. Samuel P.. Ladd, of West Chester, 

 Pa., that he (Mr. Ladd) had, April 5, 188(5, found a nest 

 and two eggs of this bird in a tliiclv woods at Fife's 

 Eddy, on the Susquehanna river. A descriptio.n of the 

 nest and eggs was published in my first report, as 

 given to nie by Mr. Ladd, but I have since learned from 

 Mr. Ladd that he did not secure or even see the hawks, 

 hence I am satisfied that this "record" was without 

 doubt based on erroneous identification. Dr. C. H. 

 Merriam, of United States Department of Agriculture. 

 Washington, D. 0., informs me that he is not aware of 

 a single authentic record of the breeding nf the Rough 

 legged Hawk anywhere wilhin the limits of the Uniteil 

 States. 



SUBSISTS MAINLY ON FIELD .MICP:. 



In the Rough-legged Hawk, we find another exam- 

 ple of one of our larger feathered nieuse hunters, which 

 is often slandered by tlie name of "hen-hawk." 



Since the Scalp Act was in force, and tho.usands of 

 the most beneficial hawks were slain, this species has 

 become, I might say, almost a rare visitor to marshy 

 lands where in former years, T have fo\ind it frequently 

 quite plentiful. The viscera of sixteen of these hawks 

 which the writer lias examined, contained only field 

 mice and a few other small rodeurs. The Uun] hiMe, 



