THE BIRD BOOK 



346. MEXICAN GOSHAWK. Asturina plagiata 



Range. Mexico, north to the border of the 

 United States. 



A beautiful, medium sized Hawk (17 inches 

 long), slaty gray above, white below, numer- 





White 



Rough-legged Hawk 



ously barred with grayish; tail black, crossed 

 by several white bars. These are graceful 

 and active birds, feeding largely upon small rodents, and occasionally small 

 birds. They nest in the top of tall trees, laying two or three greenish white, 

 unmarked eggs; size 1.95x1.60. Data. Santa Cruz River, Arizona, June 3, 

 1902. Nest in the fork of a mesquite tree about forty feet from the ground; 

 made of large sticks, lined with smaller ones and leaves. Three eggs. Col- 

 lector, O. W. Howard. 



347a. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. 



Range. Northern North America, breeding chiefly north of our borders and 

 wintering south to the middle portions of the United States. 



The Rough-legs are large, heavily built birds of prey, specially characerized 

 by the completely feathered legs. The present species is 22 inchse long, and in 

 the normal plumage has a whitish head, neck, breast and tail, the former being 

 streaked and the latter barred 

 with blackish; the remainder of. 

 the upper and underparts are black-; 

 ish brown. Their nests are usually 

 placed in trees, and less often on 

 the ground than those of the next 

 species. These Rough-legs are very 

 irregularly distributed, and are no- 

 where as common as the next. 7 * 

 While the greater number nest. ; I 

 north of the United States, it is N 

 very probable that a great many | i 

 nest on the higher ranges within ; , 

 our borders. The species is often jj 

 taken in summer, even in Massa-;!| 

 chusetts. They lay three eggs of a !j 

 bluish white color, boldly splashed ;ji 

 with dark brown; size 2.25x1.75. ;|] Bluish white 



214 



