10 Zoologia: N. Y. Zoological Society. [Vol. I 



the continent of Europe. Here we have an interesting case of 

 the localization and the restriction to a humid region, of a melan- 

 istic form, race or variation, whatever we choose to call it in the 

 present state of our knowledge. The rough-legged hawks and 

 fulmar petrels, Archibuteo and Fulmarus, of America, and the 

 parasitic jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus, also exhibit a dark 

 phase which is independent of age, sex or season. 



A well known example of rather unique occurrence is found 

 in Pave nigripennis, the black-winged peacock, in which almost 

 the entire wings and thighs are black. This form has never yet 

 been observed in a wild state, but in flocks kept in semi-domesti- 

 cation, it occasionally crops out, and though weaker and less 

 hardy than its parents, typical Pavo cristatus, yet it is said that 

 if left to interbreed, this melanistic form will gradually become 

 dominant and ultimately supplant all of the normally colored 

 birds. Ogilvie-Grant says of this bird: "Although this variety 

 closely resembles the male hybrids between Pavo cristatus and 

 P. muticus, it has been clearly shown that it arises independently 

 in flocks of common peafowl which have been pure bred for many 

 years, and there can be no doubt that it is merely a sport of 

 nature, possibly due to atavism or reversion to the ancestral 

 type, from which both the common and the Burmese peafowl 

 have sprung." 



The black hawk, as the dark phase of the rough-legged hawk 

 is called, Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis, while appearing 

 during migration as isolated individuals all over the United 

 States and southern Canada, seems to have a center of abundance 

 in Ungava and Labrador. The Storers found the black hawk 

 not uncommon on the cliffs of Labrador and their "observations 

 of its habits, as contrasted with those of the still more common 

 rough-legged hawk, left no doubt in their mind of their specific 

 distinction. While the black hawk was observed to be a bold, 

 vigorous and spirited bird, easy and swift in its motions, and 

 preying upon other birds while on the wing, the rough-legged 

 was comparatively sluggish, inoffensive and subsisted only upon 

 rats, mice, moles, frogs and other small game. A nest contain- 

 ing young birds was found and one of the latter caught alive. 

 Both old and young were in the same black plumage. The young 

 hawk was fierce and intractable, and its whole air and manner 

 were utterly unlike the conduct of the young of the other species." 

 It is difficult to account for this reputed difference in mental 

 character correlated with distinction in color phase, unless the 

 observers were deceived by the marked individuality of a few 

 birds. 



