362. AECHIBDTEO LAGOPUS VAE. SANGTI-JOHANNIS. 



Buteo ater, Vieill., Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. iv, 1816, 482 ; Enc. Meth. iii, 1227. 

 (^liuteo " Imiiani, AvD." (error), of the following New England writers: Emjkjns, Cat. 



B. Mass. 1835, p. 1 ; Peabody, Rep. Orn. Mass. 1S39, 296 ; Put.nam, Pr. Ess. 



Inst, i, 1856, 225. See CouES, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 2.58. 



Sab. — Typical lagopus, European. Var. aancU-johannis in North America at large; 

 rather northerly. The melanotic condition chieiJy observed in the Middle Atlantic 

 States, New England, and northward. 



The question, long agitated, of the relationship of our " Black " and " Eough-legged " 

 Hawks may be considered settled in favor of their specific identity, the Black Hawk 

 being simply the melanotic condition of the Eough-legged. There is nothing either 

 peculiar or remarkable in this, melanism being an affection common to many or most 

 Hawks, independent of age, sex, season, or locality, and analogous to the rusty -red plum- 

 ages of Owls. It is curious, if not instructive, to nete, in the history of the contro- 

 versy, how some authors have tried to make out two species upon wholly imaginary 

 differences in geographical distribution and migration, nay, also, in habits, such as 

 nidification, and even in the eggs ; while other authors, admitting the identity of the 

 two, have made each to be the old, and then the young of the other. The record is thus 

 highly suspicious, upon a priori considerations ; and it has been proven groundless. 

 Specimens show every degree of melanism, from the first departure from normal lagopus 

 to the complete black dress ; and this is independent of age, sex, or season. 



The only qualification of these remarks that seems to be required is resi^ectiug the 

 areas of distribution of the melanotic fonn. As is well known, the normal lagopui 

 ranges across the country ; but, so far as I am aware, the black plumage has not been 

 observed iu any individuals from the far west. Dr. Cooper, indeed, gives "sancii- 

 johaniiis," hut with the remark that he never saw it in California. This is the more 

 remarkable since in the West alone occur the dark {"cahtriis ") forms of borealis, while 

 the melanotic state of swainsoni (" insignatus ") has there its chief development. 



As above noted, the Black Eough-legged Hawk is chiefly found in the Middle At- 

 lantic and New England States, and northward. According to my information, the 

 melanism has not been observed to occur in the European lagopus. This brings us to 

 consideration of the relationships of the American and European Archibuteo. The ma- 

 jority of writers have considered them identical ; and it is certain that normal lagopus 

 of this country cannot be speeiiically distinguished from the European bird. There 

 appear to be, however, slight discrepancies of the grade of those observed in the Hawk 

 Owls, the Marsh Hawks, and many other species common to both hemispheres, war- 

 ranting the recognition of geographical races. This is the view first taken, I believe, 

 by Mr. Eidgway, with whom I agree to separate the American bird, in all its variety, 

 from the normal lagopus plumage to the perfect melanism, from the European, as a 

 geographical race, under the name above adopted. In the foregoing synonymy, it will 

 be observed, I unite the •' sancti-johannis" with the various quotations of American 

 lagoj)iis alone. G. E. Gray has already done substantially the same, but he makes spe- 

 cific distinction. Bonaparte, in 1850 (Conspectus), also separated our bird under name 

 of saiicii-joliannis, but he wrongly adduced the synonyms of A. fcrruginciis, which is 

 apparently a distinct species. 



Since Audubon remarked, in 1834, that he had never seen this species 

 west of the AUeghanies, its successive and repeated occurrences have 

 entirely negatived such implied restriction of its range. It is found 

 throughout the West — in the United States chiefly iu winter, in the fur 

 countries only in summer. Sir John Eichardsoii remarks that it arrives 

 in April or May, and departs in October. Its migrations appear to be 

 quite regular and extensive — more so, perhaps, than is generally sup- 

 posed — though probably it does not differ from most Hawks in this 

 respect. Birds ot this family must follow their prey, wherever this 

 leads them, and only a few of the more powerful species, able to prey 

 upon hares and Ptarmigan, pass the winter in our highest latitudes. 

 The Eough-legged is a rather northerly species, rarely, if ever, breeding 

 within the limits of the United States, and becoming rarer toward its 

 southern terminus. Ou the Atlantic coast I have no authentic evidence 

 of its appearance south of the United States, the maritime portions of 

 which may be regarded as its winter headquarters. It is represented 



