^°'i^?^^] Cameron, The Ferruginous Rough-leg. 165 



May 28, 1893, ray wife and I witnessed the capture of a prairie 

 dog by two of these hawks, and one of them was proceeding to 

 devour it as we rode up. The methods of the crafty coyote and the 

 Ferruginous Rough-leg are identical in * dog-towns.' Both wait 

 patiently, the haw^k also on the ground, for a prairie dog to amble 

 afield from its burrow, and thereupon make a dash, the first terres- 

 trial, the latter aerial, to intercept it. K prairie dog always en- 

 deavors to gain its own burrow when danger threatens, and is 

 marvellously quick to reach it, but if cut off from home, the beast 

 becomes so bewildered that it neglects the nearer intermediate 

 holes. When two coyotes, or two hawks hunt together, the fate 

 of the intended victim is sealed, but with one assailant only, it 

 has an even chance. 



Mr. W. R. Felton made many valuable observations on the food 

 habits of these hawks during the nesting season, and discovered 

 the fact, new to science, that they prey upon birds as well as on 

 mammals. Over the whole course of his observations until the 

 young birds had flown, prairie dogs were found to largely exceed 

 all other diet, but until the nestlings were about two weeks old 

 their food consisted partly of Meadowlarks (SturneUa neglecta). 

 While very little food was found in nest No. 1, taking into considera- 

 tion the frequent visits paid to it, there were seen altogether : nine 

 prairie dogs, one cotton-tail rabbit, tw^o bull snakes, one thirtj'-one 

 inches long, and some remains of Sharp-tailed Grouse and Meadow- 

 larks. On two separate occasions, w^hile Mr. Felton kept watch 

 near this eyrie, the w^ary female frequently passed and repassed 

 overhead with a Meadowlark in her talons, as subsequently identi- 

 fied. The bill of fare at all four eyries was similar, and Meadow- 

 larks, as demonstrated by their down and feathers, were provided 

 for the nestlings. The following interesting collection of remnants 

 was seen at No. 4 nest. Four prairie dog skulls, the skeletons of 

 two bull snakes, one of them being very large, the leg of a Sharp- 

 tailed Grouse, the wing and scapulars of a Magpie, and the primaries 

 of a Meadowlark. Grouse and Magpie remains were not found 

 until July 17 and 21, and were proved by the feathers to belong to 

 young birds, although I do not doubt that a Ferruginous Rough-leg 

 would be quite capable of capturing an adult sitting grouse. When 

 I was standing below the nest designated No. 1, on October 13, 

 1912, three Magpies alighted by it. 



