ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. 221 



ever, both in America and Europe, rarely remove far from their ordi- 

 nary places of resort in the northern regions. 



The number of meadow mice which this species destroys ought, one 

 might think, to ensure it the protection of every husbandman ; but so 

 far is this from being the case, that in America it is shot on all occa- 

 sions, simply because its presence frightens Mallards and other Ducks, 

 which would alight on the ponds, along the shores of which the wily 

 gunner is concealed ; and in England it is caught in traps as well as 

 shot, perhaps for no better reason than because it is a Hawk. But so 

 scarce is it in the latter country, that I never could procure one in the 

 flesh there. 



My friend Mr Swainsox considered our bird in its immature plu- 

 mage, in which he has figm-ed it in the Fauna Boreali- Americana, as 

 the true Falco lagopus ; and Dr Richardson, in the same work, speaks 

 of it as follows : — " A specimen of this bird, in most perfect plumage, 

 was killed in the month of September, by Mr Drummond, on the 

 Smoking River, one of the upper branches of the Peace River. It ar- 

 rives in the Fur Countries in April or May, and, having reared its 

 young, retires southward early in October. It winters on the banks of 

 the Delaware and Schuylkill, returning to the north in the spring. It 

 is by no means an uncommon bird in the districts through which the 

 expedition travelled, but, being very shy, only one specimen was pro- 

 cured. A pair were seen at their nest, built of sticks, on a lofty tree, 

 standing on a low, moist, alluvial point of land, almost encircled by a 

 bend of the Saskatchewan. They sailed round the spot in a wide 

 circle, occasionally settling on the top of a tree, but were too wary to 

 allow lis to come within gun-shot ; so that, after spending much time 

 in vain, we were fain to relinquish the chase. In the softness and ful- 

 ness of its plumage, its feathered legs, and habits, this bu-d bears some 

 resemblance to the Owls. It flies slowly, sits for a long time on the 

 bough of a tree watching for mice, frogs, &c., and is often seen skim- 

 ming over swampy pieces of ground, and hunting for its prey by the 

 subdued daylight, which illuminates even the midnight hours in the 

 high parallels of latitude." 



With this, in addition to what I have already said of the habits of 

 the Rough-legged Falcon, I conclude ; adding, however, the measure- 

 ments of two American specimens, procured for me by Dr Thomas M. 

 Brewer, of Boston, and preserved in spirits. 



