206 



FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 



labored, and when on the wing this Hawk resembles the Osprey more 

 than any other bird of prey. . . . 



■" Of 49 stomachs examined, 40 contained mice ; 5, other mammals ; 

 1, lizards ; 1, insects ; and 4 were empty " (Pisher). 



348. Archibuteo ferrugineus {lAcM.). Fereuginohs Eohgh-leo. 

 Ai.y light phase. — Upper parts mostly rufous, the centers of the feathers fus. 

 ecus ; tail grayish white, margined with rufous ; legs rufous, barred with black ; 

 rest of under parts white, more or less barred with rufous on the sides and 

 belly ; tarsi fully feathered in front, /to. — Upper parts dark grayish brown, 

 slightly varied with oohraceous-buff ; tail silvery grayish brown, without bars, 

 the base white ; under parts white, lightly spotted and streaked with fuscous. 

 Darh phase. — Dark fuscous-brown, more or less varied with rufous ; prima- 

 ries and tail as in the ad. L., 23-00 ; W., 17-00; T., 10-50. 



Memarks. — This species is to be distinguished from the preceding prin- 

 cipally by its much larger bill and differently colored tail and under parts. 



Ban-ge. — " Western United States ; east to and across the great plains (oc- 

 casionally to Illinois) ; north to the Saskatchewan ; south into Mexico " (Ben- 

 dire). 



Ifest, in trees or on the ground in rocky places, ^ggs, two to four, " white, 

 or buffy white, usually more or less spotted, blotched, or clouded with brown 

 or grayish purple (or both), 2-42 x 1-88 " (Eidgw.). 



This bird is rarely found east of the Mississippi. Dr. Pisher re- 

 marks : " The Squirrel Hawk is pre-eminently a bird of the prairie, 



and, unlike the common Bough-leg, 

 shows little partiality to the vicinity 

 of water, though in other respects it 

 closely resembles the latter bird in 

 habits." 



349. Aquilachrysaetos(£«nm.). 



GoLDEir Eagle. Ad. — Back of the head 

 and nape pale, buffy ochraceous; basal 

 two thirds of the tail white ; tarsus white, 

 entirely feathered ; rest of the plumage 

 fuscous - brown ; quills fuscous. Im. — 

 Similar, but base of the tail with broken 

 grayish bars ; tarssus and under tail- 

 coverts ochraceous-buff. t, L., 30-00- 

 35-00; Ex.,78-00-B4-00;W.,23-00-24-rO;T., 

 14-00-15-00 ; Tar., 3-65-3-80. 9 L., 35-00- 

 40-00; Ex., 84-00-90-00; W., 25-00-27-00; 

 T., 15-00-16-00 ; Tar., 4-15-4-25 (Kidgw.). 



Range. — North America ; of rare occurrence east of the Mississippi. 



Washington, rare W. V. Sing Sing, A. V. 



Nest, on cliffs or fooky ledges. Eggs, two to tliree, dull white, obscurely 

 or distinctly blotched or speckled with shade? of Qinnamon-brown, 2-93 x 2-34. 



Fig. 71.— Foot of Golden Eagle. 



