THE ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 133 



in The Birds of Iowa, p. 251, 1907. The capture was made by Wal- 

 ter G. Savage, in Van Buren county on Big Cedar creek, May 25, 

 1895. 



The chief interest in this species lies in its having been taken in 

 Iowa so far from its usual range. Doubtless other species quite as 

 rare have remained unrecorded for Iowa because they were unrec- 

 ognized. 



Asturina plagiata Schlegel. 



Ridgway, Robert, Ornithology of Illinois, p. 463, 1889. 



Bendire, Capt. Chas., Life Histories of North American Birds, p. 251, 



1892. 



Fisher, A. K., Hawks and Owls of the U. S., p. 85, 1893. 

 Savage, Walter G., Under Notes and News: The Iowa Ornithologist, 



Vol. I, No. 4, p. 89. (Van Buren County.) 

 Anderson, R. M., Birds of Iowa, p. 251, 1907. 

 Cory, C. B., Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin, p. 469, 1909. 



Genus Archibuteo Brehm. 

 Subgenus Archibuteo 



14. ARCHIBUTEO LAGOPUS SANCTI-JOHANNIS 



(Gmelin). 347a. 

 Rough-legged Hawk. Black Hawk. St. John's Hawk. 



Field Characters. This hawk occurs in two phases, the light and 

 the dark. The light phase is to be recognized by a conspicuous dark 

 belt across the belly and thighs. The basal part of the tail, the legs, 

 and in part the head are whitish. In the darker phase the bird is uni- 

 formly brownish, black or sooty. They are birds of the open fields 

 or marsh land, and are not found in the state during the summer. 



Description. Above, dusky with tawny or buff edgings to the 

 feathers of the back and upper wings. Head noticeably lighter than 

 back ; basal part of tail whitish, the remainder blackish or banded. 

 Below, white or buffy-white streaked with black, the markings form- 

 ing a distinct belt across the belly including the thighs. Legs feath- 

 ered completely to the toes. In the dark phase, more or less uni- 

 formly black or brownish black. 



Measurements. Length, 20 to 23 inches; wing, 16 to 18 inches; 

 tail, 9 to 11 inches. 



