96 FALCONID^. 



in East Lothian and other southern districts of Scot- 

 land. 



This species appears to inhabit Scandinavia, Lapland, 

 Russia, and from thence southward is distributed over 

 the European continent to the shores and islands of the 

 Mediterranean. It has been taken at Madeira. Le Vail- 

 lant found it in considerable numbers frequenting the 

 wooded portions of the district of Auteniquoi in Africa ; 

 and Dr. Andrew Smith has recorded its occurrence as far 

 south as the Cape of Good Hope. 



The Rough-Legged Buzzard is well known in the United 

 States. Audubon has seen it as far south as the eastern 

 portion of North Carolina, from whence, he says, it goes 

 northward to breed in March ; observing also that it is 

 more nocturnal in its habits than any other Hawk in the 

 same locality. Sir John Richardson, in his Zoology of 

 North America, says this species advances, east of the 

 Rocky Mountains, as high as the 68th parallel. " It 

 arrives in the fur countries in April or May, and having 

 reared its young, retires southward early in October. It 

 winters on the banks of the Delaware and Schuylkill, 

 returning to the north again in the spring. It is by no 

 means an uncommon bird in the districts through which 

 he travelled ; but being very shy, only one specimen was 

 procured. A pair were seen at their nests built of sticks, 

 on a lofty tree, standing on a low moist alluvial point of 

 land. They sailed round the spot in a wide circle, occa- 

 sionally settling on the top of a tree, but were too wary 

 to allow an approach within gun-shot. In the softness 

 and fulness of its plumage, its feathered legs, and habits, 

 this bird bears some resemblance to the Owls. It flies 

 slowly, sits for a long time on the bough of a tree, watch- 

 ing for mice, frogs, &c., and is often seen skimming over 

 swampy pieces of ground, and hunting for its prey by the 



