ACCIPITRES — FALCONIDjE — BUTEO. 
7 
occasionally ascending and encircling the lower part of the neck. Inner vanes of the prima¬ 
ries whitish barred with brown. Tail light brown, with 6-8 interrupted darker bars. Beneath 
white, regularly tinged with brown. Cere and feet blue. Irides yellow. Bill bluish black. 
Female with less white on the head, and a few brownish spots on the breast. Young : The 
feathers bordered above with yellowish white. 
Length, 21‘0 - 24'0. Alar extent, 50'0-60*0. 
The American Fish Hawk or Osprey, occurs in every part of the State, and breeds in the 
vicinity of fresh or salt water. It constructs a large nest of sticks and seaweed, in which it 
deposits 3-4 dull white eggs, thickly spotted with brown. It feeds exclusively on fish and 
other aquatic animals : it is therefore harmless, and should claim the protection of the farmer ; 
but he so closely resembles his congeners, that he usually shares their fate. Until recently 
he has been confounded with the Osprey of Europe, and Bonaparte has restored the almost 
forgotten name given to it by Gmelin. It ranges from Cayenne to the 60th parallel of north 
latitude, and is peculiar to America. 
GENUS BUTEO. Bechstein. 
Beak short and small, and bent from the base. Cere short. Lores covered with bristles. 
Tarsus long, scutellate, feathered half way down or more. Feathers of the thigh long and 
pendulous. Fourth primary longest; the first four cut out on the inner web. Outer toes 
connected by a membrane. 
THE ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 
Buteo sancti-joannis. 
PLATE II. FIG. 3 (Female). 
(STATE COLLECTION. Male &. Female.) 
Rough-legged Falcon. Wils. Om. Vol. 4, p. 50, pt. 33, fig. 1 (young); and Vol. 5, p. 216 (adult and young). 
Black Hawk. Id. Ib. Vol. 67 p. 82, pi. 53, fig. 1. 
F. lagopus et St. Joannis. Bonap. Am. Lyc. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 32. 
F. id. Aud. pi. 166 (young male), pi. 422(adult); Orn. Biog Vol. 2, p. 377, 
F. id. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 97. 
Rough-legged Buzzard. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 52, pi. 58. 
Butaeles Sancii-Joannis. Bonap. Geographical and Comp. List, p. 3. 
Rough-legged Buzzard, B. lagopus. Aud. B. of A. 8 vo. Vol. 1, p. 46, pi. 11. 
B. lagopus. Giraud, Birds of Long Island, p. 6 . 
Characteristics. Black and rusty. A dark broad belt across the belly. Tail white at 
base, dark brown towards the tip, where it is margined with white. 
Female, lighter colored. Young: Spots in place of the belt; tail with 
three bands. Length, 22 inches. 
