294 



THE OOLOG.ST. 



ing and taking rest on the side of a tree 

 an ounce and a half of large shot was 

 soon whizzing full at it's breast. Rush- 

 ing out from under the smoke with ex- 

 tended arms prepared to catch it as it 

 fell I was somewhat surprised not to 

 say shocked to see my bird flopping off 

 over the tree tops and on up the creek 

 after the others. Presently Dan came 

 by and went on up the creek. In a few 

 minutes his gun spoke and a little later 

 he fired again. Before long he appeared 

 carrying a tine Turkey hen by the neck. 

 Upon approaching he remarked, Gillie, 

 here is a tine Turkey for you to stuff, 

 'hant hurt a bit for stuffin, I shot her in 

 the head a purpose for yon." The back 

 of the head and skin for four inches 

 down the neck was all shot away, — a 

 nice specimen indeed. 



It began drizzling rain soon and al- 

 though Turkeys were seen twice after 

 this, luck for the day was gone. The 

 tail of that Turkey hen I still preserve 

 as a memento of the trip. Last Novem- 

 ber, the day before Thanksgiving, Dan 

 drove up in his spring wagon with a 

 handsome pair of Turkeys. So all 

 Thanksgiving day and for two succeed- 

 ing days there were the sounds of nail- 

 ing, tiling, and other sounds which ac- 

 company the mounting of large birds. 

 The measurements of the ma e were as 

 follows, length 47 inches, extended 

 wings 62 inches, tail 17 inches, spurs 

 1 inch, weight twenty-four hours after 

 being killed 16 pounds. The other was 

 a young bird weighing only 8 pounds. 

 T. Gilbert Pearson, 

 Guilford College, N. C. 



Raptores of Michigan. 



By Scolopax. 



American Rough-legged Hawk. Ar- 

 chibuteo lagojjus sancti-johannis (Gmel) 

 This largest of our Hawks can never be 

 considered as common in our state, and 

 though all collectors of experience have 



met with it, yet there are two or three 

 published lists of Michigan birds which, 

 fail to embrace it. It has been known 

 here since Sager's pioneer list was pub- 

 lished in 1839, and has been recorded 

 in nearly all the more recent catalogues 

 of Michigan birds as well as by Dr. 

 Miles, 1860. 



Only one authority, Covert, gives this 

 Hawk as "very common in the fall,*' 

 which is undoubtedly an error. I do 

 not think the bird is ever common in 

 our state. It is evidently a transient 

 with us, appearing in February, March 

 and into April on its way north, and 

 ^undoubtedly passing to the extreme 

 north, or at least into British territory 

 to breed. Returning south it is more 

 common in November, but is found in 

 October and also in December. 



My lamented friend Dr. Atkins re- 

 ported finding a nest of this Hawk in 

 Ingham Co., May 18, 1876 but the note 

 is not reliable, the doctor having 

 evidently erred in his identification. 

 Ludwig Kumlein of Milton College, 

 Wisconsin also reports finding two 

 nests in Wisconsin. 



It is fair to say that this Hawk does 

 not nest in the Great Lake Region in 

 the States, if at all, at least so rarely 

 that nothing is known of its breeding 

 habits in Michigan or adjacent states. 

 Mr. R. MacFarlane took a set of two 

 eggs June 9, 1864 on the Anderson River 

 in Arctic America and everything in- 

 dicates that the species nests at least 

 north of the fiftieth parallel. 



Jerome Trombley records this Hawk 

 as an occasional spring visitor to Mon- 

 roe County in the south-eastern corner 

 of the state. Later he says in direct 

 contradicton. "Rare, and only in 

 winter." A. H. Boies captured a spec- 

 imen in Lenawee County, Nov. 5, 1879. 

 In Kalamazoo County it has been take n 

 as late as April 17th in the spring and 

 on December 22d in the fall migrations. 

 A large female specimen brought to me 

 in the winter contained all the parts of 



