THE ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 4^ 



• 



This genus contains six or seven species, inliabiting Europe, Asia, and North 

 America, all birds of heavy though robust organization, subsisting mainly on small 

 quadrupeds and reptiles. The species of this genus are easily recognized by their 

 having the tarsi feathered. 



ARCHIBUIEO LAGOPUS.— Grajr. 

 The Eough-legged Hawk. 



Falco lagopus, Gm. Syst. Nat., 260 (1788). Aud. Orn. Biog., II. 377, and 

 Wilson. 



Falco plumipes, Daudin. Traite d'Oru., II. 163. 

 Falco pennatus, Cuvier. Reg. An., I. 323 (1817). 

 Archibuteo alticeps, Brehm. Vog. Deutsch, I. 40. 



Description. 



Tarsus densely feathered in front to the toes, naked behind ; wing long ; tail 

 rather short. 



Adult. — Head above yellowish-white, with longitudinal stripes of bro^vn tinged 

 with reddish, especially on the occiput; back scapular, and shorter quills pale cine- 

 reous, with partially concealed transverse bands of white and dark-brown, the latter 

 frequently predominating, and giving the color on the back ; rump dark umber-brown ; 

 longer quills and wing coverts umber-brown ; primaries edged externally with ashy, 

 and with a large space on their inner webs at their base, white with a silky lustre; 

 under parts white ; throat with longitudinal stripes of dark-brown ; breast with large 

 spots and concealed stripes of reddish-brown ; abdomen with numerous transverse 

 narrow bands of brownish-black, most conspicuous on the flanks, and tinged with 

 ashy; tibia; and tarsi barred transversely with white and dark-brown, and tinged 

 with reddish; under tail coverts white; upper tail coverts white at base and 

 tipped with brownish-black; tail white at base, with a wide subterminal band of 

 black, and about two other bands of black alternating with others of light-cinere- 

 ous; cere and toes yellow; iris hazel; under wing coverts white, with spots of 

 brownish-black, and on the longer coverts with a large space of ashy-brown. 



Young. — Upper parts light umber-brown, many feathers, especially on the head 

 and neck behind, edged with yellowish- white and pale-reddish ; a wide transverse 

 band or belt on the abdomen brownish-black; other under parts yellowish-white, 

 with a few longitudinal lines and spots of brownish-black; quills ashy-brown, with 

 a large basal portion of their inner webs white ; tail at its base white, with a sub- 

 terminal band of light umber-brown, tip white ; tibi.^e and tarsi pale reddish-yellow, 

 with longitudinal stripes and spots of dark-brown; cere and toes yellow; iris hazel. 



Total length, female, twenty-one to twenty-three inches; wing, sixteen to seven- 

 teen inches; tail, nine inches. Male, total length, nineteen to twenty-one inches; 

 wing, fifteen to sixteen inches; tail, eight to eight and a half inches. 



This Hawk;^is rarely seen in New England, appearing only 

 in the late fall and winter months. I have had no opportu- 

 nities of studying its habits and characteristics, and will 

 give the short description by Audubon. He says,. — 



