The American Rough-leg 



weeks later and going at once to their quarters, which they refit prepara- 

 tory to permanent occupancy later on." 



On April 4th, 1914, Mr. Adriaan van Rossem saw thirty birds, chiefly 

 of the dark type, moving north at Pomona. On the 3rd of May of that 

 same year I saw a languid company of 24 birds at Goleta, in Santa Barbara 

 County. On the 18th of April, 191 6, we witnessed a notable movement 

 of these birds over the Carriso Plains, where we had paused for a midday 

 lunch. The birds were trending north, but in such a leisurely fashion 

 that it was difficult to realize that their course had a distant goal. The 

 hawks soared about silently, on the lookout for food, and they gravitated 

 toward any point of interest, however trivial. Once a dozen of them made 

 our automobile the center of attention, and we obtained intimate views 

 of some "Beauty, Ohs" with purplish dark brown underparts. Many 

 passed so close that the fine banding of the tail was distinctly revealed. 

 Otherwise, the lightening of color toward the base of the tail, or upon the 

 basal two-thirds of the tail (in which case definitely rufous) was the 

 notable "recognition mark." The show lasted for an hour or so, and there 

 were at one time above a hundred birds in sight. 



No. 335 



American Rough-leg 



A. O. U. No. 347a. Buteo lagopus sanctijohannis (Gmelin). 



Synonyms. — American Rough-legged Hawk. Rough-legged Buzzard. 



Description. — Adult, normal {light) phase: Head and neck all around white 

 or flaxen, narrowly streaked with dark brown, sparingly on throat; remaining upper- 

 parts dark brown or brownish fuscous, varied by ochraceous or ochraceous-buffy, 

 marginal brownish gray and outcropping white; wing-quills not barred, at least on 

 exposed surfaces, but grayish-edged and with much basal white on inner web; four outer 

 primaries deeply emarginate; upper tail-coverts and basal portion of tail (usually for 

 more than half its length) white; terminal portion of tail crossed by broad, subterminal 

 band of dusky, and usually by several narrow, irregular or broken bands anterior to 

 this; underparts whitish, or pale ochraceous-buffy, spotted or broadly streaked, chiefly 

 on breast, with blackish; a loose broken band of dusky across belly; thighs often 

 ochraceous; tarsi feathered to the toes, in front; feet yellow; bill and claws black. Imma- 

 ture, normal phase: Similar to adult, but terminal portion of tail plain grayish brown; 

 primaries with basal white on external web; markings of underparts confluent on belly 

 in a broad, unbroken, abdominal belt of deep brown; thighs spotted with dusky. 

 Adult and immature, melanislic phase: Entire plumage black, in any degree, save that 

 the tail is white-barred and primaries exhibit some basal white. This phase is quite 

 common and seems to be independent of age, sex, or season. Both sexes: length 

 495-3-596.9 (19-50-23.50); wing 400.1-457.2 (15.75-18.00); tail 228.6-279.4 (9. 00-11. 00) ; 

 culmen from cere 20.3-25.4 (.80-1.00). Female about two inches longer than male 

 and correspondingly proportioned. 



1696 



