314 WINTER FALCON. 
ae il 
; A Cf : 
Kem hou dered 
WINTER FALCON.— FALCO HYEMALIS.— Fic. 154. 
Turton, Syst. p. 156.— Arct. Zool. p. a eo 107. — Peale’s Museum, No. 272, 
an i. 
ASTUR? HY¥ MALIS, — Jannixe.* 
The Winter Hawk, Awe. pl. 71; Orn. Biog. p. 164. 
Turs elegant and spirited Hawk is represented in Fig. 154. He 
visits us from the north early in November, and leaves us late in 
March. 
This is a dexterous frog-catcher ; who, that he may pursue his pro- 
fession with full effect, takes up his winter residence almost entirely 
among our meadows and marshes. He sometimes stuffs himself so 
enormously with these reptiles, that the prominency of his craw makes 
a large bunch, and he appears to fly with difficulty. I have taken the 
broken fragments and whole carcasses of ten frogs, of different dimen- 
sions, from the crop of a single individual. Of his genius, and other 
exploits, [ am unable to say much. He appears to be a fearless and 
active bird, silent, and not very shy. One which I kept for some time, 
and which was slightly wounded, disdained all attempts made to rec- 
. 
* This species, with the Fu/co lineutus of our author, have been the subject of 
dispute as to their identity. The Prince of Musignano thinks they are the same, 
but in different states of plumage, according to age. Audubon says they are de- 
eidedly distinct, and has given plates of each, with an account of the differences 
he observed in their habits. I have transcribed’ his observations at some length, 
that these distinctions may be seen and judged of individually. I am inclined to 
consider them distinct, and cannot reconcile the great difference of habit to birds of 
one species, particularly in the same country. With regard to their station, again, 
they present a most interesting form. They are intermediate, as it were, between 
Buteo, Astur, and Circus. he colors are those of Buteo and Circus ; while the 
form and active habits of the one is that of Astur ; those of the Winter Hawk more 
of Circus ; the wings are short for a true Buzzard, and possess the proportional 
length of the feathers of the Goshawks. ‘The feet of both are decidedly Astur, 
pee erhaps, into the more slender form of Circus ; and from the preponder- 
ance of their form to the Goshawks, I have chosen that as their present appellation, 
but certainly with a query. 
I have transcribed the habits of both ieee as given by Audubon, that the com- 
poiben may be the more easy, and, at the description of F. lineatus, have referred 
to this Ce i 
. The Winter Hawk is not a constant resident in the United States, but merely 
visits them, making its first appearance there at the approach of winter. ‘The flight 
is smooth and light, although greatly protracted, when necessity requires it to be 
so. It sails, at times, at a considerable elevation ; and, notwithstanding the com- 
parative shortness of its wings, performs this kind of motion with grace, and in cir- 
cles of more than ordinary diameter. It is a remarkably silent bird, often spending 
the greater part of the day without uttering its notes more than once or twice, 
which it does just before it alights to watch. with great patience and perseverance, 
for the appearance of its prey. Its haunts are the extensive meadows and marshes 
which occur along our rivers. There it pounces, with a rapid motion, on the frogs, 
which it either devours on the spot, or carries to the perch, or the top of the hay- 
stack, on which it previously stood. It generally rests at night on the ground 
among the tall sedges of the marshes. J have never seen this Hawk in pursuit of 
any other birds than those of its own species, each individual chasing the others 
