SPECIES 16. FALCO HYEMALIS. 

 WINTER FALCON. 



[Plate XXXV. Fig. 1.] 



TURTON, Syst. p. \5Q.-Jlrct. Zool p. 209, No. 107. PEALE'S 

 Museum, No. 272 and 273.* 



THIS elegant and spirited Hawk is represented in the plate 

 of one half its natural size; the other two figures are reduced in 

 the same proportion. He visits us from the north early in No- 

 vember, and leaves us late in March. 



This is a dexterous Frog-catcher; who, that he may pursue 

 his profession with full effect, takes up his winter residence al- 

 most entirely among our meadows and marshes. He sometimes 

 stuffs himself so enormously with these reptiles, that the pro- 

 minency of his craw makes a large bunch, and he appears to 

 fly with difficulty. I have taken the broken fragments, and 

 whole carcasses, of ten frogs, of different dimensions, from the 

 crop of a single individual. Of his genius and other exploits I 

 am unable to say much. He appears to be a fearless and active 

 bird, silent, and not very shy. One which I kept for some 

 time, and which was slightly wounded, disdained all attempts 

 made to reconcile him to confinement; and would not suffer a 

 person to approach, without being highly irritated; throwing 

 himself backward, and striking with expanded talons, with 

 great fury. Though shorter winged than some of his tribe, yet 

 I have no doubt, but, with proper care, he might be trained to 

 strike nobler game, in a bold style, and with great effect. But 

 the education of Hawks in this country may well be postponed 

 for a time, until fewer improvements remain to be made in that 

 of the human subject. 



* We add the following synonymes: Falco hyemalis, GMEL. Syst. i, p. 274. 

 LATH. Ind. Orn. p. 35. 



