ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. 73 



frequent along the Connecticut river; and, according to Pennant, 

 inhabit England, Norway and Lapmark. Their flight is slow and 

 heavy. They are often seen coursing over the surface of the meadows, 

 long after sunset, many times in pairs. They generally roost on the 

 tall, detached trees, that rise from these low grounds ; and take their 

 stations, at daybreak, near a ditch, bank^ or hay-stack, for hours 

 together, watching, with patient vigilance, for the first unlucky frog, 

 mouse or lizard, to make its appearance. The instant one of these is 

 descried, the hawk, sliding into the air, and taking a circuitous course 

 along the surface, sweeps over the spot, and in an instant has his prey 

 grappled and sprawling in the air. 



The Rough-legged Hawk measures twenty-two inches in length, and 

 four_feet two inches in extent ; cere, sides of the mouth, and feet, rich 

 yellow; legs feathered to the toes with brownish yellow plumage, 

 streaked with brown, femorals the same ; toes comparatively short, 

 claws and bill blue black ; iris of the eye bright amber ; upper part of 

 the head pale ochre, streaked with brown ; back and wings chocolate, 

 each feather edged with bright ferruginous ; first four primaries nearly 

 black about the tips, edged externally with silvery in some lights ; rest 

 of the quills dark chocolate ; lower side, and interior vanes, white ; 

 tail-coverts white ; tail rounded, white, with a broad band of dark 

 brown near the end, and tipped with white ; body below, and breast, 

 light yellow ochre, blotched and streaked with chocolate. What con- 

 stitutes a characteristic mark of this bird, is a belt or girdle, of very 

 dark brown, passing round the belly, just below the breast, and reach- 

 ing under the wings to the rump ; head very broad, and bill uncom- 

 monly small, suited to the humility of its prey. 



The female is much darker both above and below, particularly in the 

 belt or girdle, which is nearly black ; the tail-coverts are also spotted 

 with chocolate ; she is also something larger. 



