240 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



aud the Kough-leg never has any such changes. I have quite an 

 exchange of diiFerent kinds of birds for examination with my 

 English friends. I can see no difference in the Rough-legged, 

 Duck Hawk, or Fish Hawk; the Goshawk has different markings, 

 but its form, size, etc., are the same ; Mr. Audubon called them the 

 same. He also called the Rough-legged and Black Hawk the same 

 with the remark, that " the old bird grew vei'y dark." 



Now my informant says the older the bird is the lighter is its 

 color. They have the eggs of the Black Hawk at the Smithsonian, 

 said to be authenticated and taken by good collectors aud natural- 

 ists and figured in the Smithsonian Oology by Brewer. But that 

 would not prove them different as many birds breed in immature 

 plumage; many of the hawks, eagles, ducks, etc. So if it was the 

 young it might do that. I am very sure from what information I 

 can get it is not the old, as many of the ornithologists have 

 thought. Dr. Richardson found it breeding (the Black Hawk) 

 on the Saskatchewan, but they arc quite rare, while the common 

 Rough-legged is quite plenty. The Labrador folks report the 

 Black Hawk quite common, but one sent me was a young, very 

 dark Gyrfalcon aud might not be the bird we are talking about at 

 all. 



Do not think I am writing all this to make you believe they 

 are two, only to give you some information why they have been 

 considered distinct. I asked Prof. Baird a year or two ago aud he 

 would not commit himself. He was in doubt about their being 

 two, as I thought at the time. Cassiu thinks they are two. The 

 young of all hawks are very much the most numerous. With the 

 Marsh Hawk 1 get twenty young to one old, while the same is 

 true of most Hawks. Now if the Black bird is the immature one 

 how does it happen there are ten Rough-legged to one black, 

 which I think is the case all through the eastern states. 



I have written in such a hurry I do not know as you will 

 understand me. If you have any new ideas about this interesting 

 subject I should like to have them. There have been Bohemian 

 Chatterers or Winter Waxwings in my garden today. They are a 

 very i^retty bird. My son saw them but did not shoot them. I 

 think I had better close up as I know you will be tired of this long 

 scrawl. So good night. Yours as ever, 



Geo. a. Boardman. 



