206 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



much farther north, for it is rare in Manitoba, and is not found in 

 Alaska. 



Its food consists chiefly of small mammals, insects, reptiles and 

 frogs, and it is not known ever to have touched poultry, so that 011 

 this account it is placed in Class b, the good work being in excess 

 of the evil. 



GENUS ARCHIBUTEO BREHM. 

 ARCHIBUTEO LAGOPUS SANCTI-JOHANNIS (GMEL.). 



148. American Rough-legged Hawk. (347a) 



Below, white, variously dark colored, and often with a broad black abdo- 

 minal zone, but generally 110 ferruginous; above, brown, varying from dark 

 chocolate in the adult to light umber in the young; the back, scapulars and 

 shorter quills, strongly cinereous; the head above, more or less white, dark 

 streaked; upper tail coverts and tail at base, white, the former tipped with 

 blackish ; the latter barred near the tip with one, and sometimes with several 

 bands of black or dark brown. In this plumage the bird has been known 

 as A. lagopus, the Rough-legged Buzzard, while to a melanotic variety of the 

 same, found in this country only, the name sancti-johaimia has been given. 

 This variety is entirely glossy-black, except the occiput, forehead, throat, inner 

 webs of quills, base of tail and broad tail-bars, white. As it is now generally 

 conceded that these are varieties of the same species, the original name, 

 lagopux, is retained, and the American form considered a geographical variety 

 of the European characterized as variety aancti-johannis. Length, about 2 

 feet; wing, 16-17; tail, 8-10. 



HAB. Whole of North America north to Mexico, breeding chiefly north of 

 the United States. 



Nest, on trees or rocks, composed of sticks, grass, weeds and other material 

 matted together. 



Eggs, two or three, soiled white, blotched with reddish-brown. 



Another large and powerful bird which, from some cause, seems 

 contented with very humble fare, living chiefly on mice, lizards, 

 frogs, etc, while its appearance would lead us to suppose it capable 

 of capturing much larger game. It is sometimes found in a melanotic 

 state, the plumage being nearly black, and in this garb it was 

 formerly described as a distinct species, but this idea has now been 

 abandoned. 



It can always be recognized by the legs, which are feathered down 

 to the toes, the latter being short. 



In Southern Ontario this is only a visitor during the season of 

 migration, being most plentiful in the fall, when it is often seen 



