48 ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 



legs, and habits, this bird bears some resemblance to the Owls. It flies slowly, 

 sits for a long time on the bough of a tree watching for mice, frogs, &c, and 

 is often seen skimming over swampy pieces of ground, and hunting for its 

 prey by the subdued daylight, which illuminates even the midnight hours in 

 the high parallels of latitude. " 



Nothing is known respecting their propagation in the United States, and 

 I must pass over this subject. They leave us in the beginning of March, 

 and betake themselves to more northern countries; yet not one did either 

 myself, or my youthful and enterprising party, observe on my late rambles 

 in Labrador. 



Black Hawk, Falco niger, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vi. p. 82. Adult. 

 Falco lagopus, Bonap. Syn., p. 32. Young. 

 Falco Sanci-Johannis, Bonap. Syn., p. 32. Adult. 



Buteo lagopus, Rough-legged Buzzard, Swains. & Rich., F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 52. 

 Rough-legged Falcon, Falco lagopus, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. iv. p. 59, Young; vol. v. p. 

 216, Adult and Young. 



Middle-aged Male. 



Wings long, third quill longest, fourth almost equal, second shorter than 

 fifth, first very short; first four abruptly cut out towards the end on the inner 

 web; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail rather long, broad, rounded. 



Bill dull bluish-grey, black at the end. Iris hazel, projecting part of the 

 eyebrow greenish-blue, cere yellow. Toes yellow, claws black. Bases of 

 the black bristles of the lore whitish. The head and neck are streaked with 

 umber-brown and yellowish-white, the centre and tip of each feather being 

 of the former colour. Back umber-brown, variegated with light reddish- 

 brown and yellowish-white. Quills dark brown towards the end, the outer 

 webs of the first six tinged with grey, the base of all white, that colour 

 extending farther on the secondaries, of most of which, and of some of the 

 jDrimaries, the inner web is irregularly barred with brown. Upper tail- 

 coverts white, irregularly barred with dark brown. Tail white at the base, 

 brown and mottled towards the end, with a broad subterminal band of 

 brownish-black, the tips brownish-white. Middle and hind part of the 

 thorax, with the sides, blackish-brown. Breast yellowish-white, largely 

 spotted and blotched with umber. Feathers of the legs paler yellowish-red, 

 barred with dusky; abdomen yellowish-white, as are the under tail-coverts, 

 which are marked with a small brown spot. 



Length 22 inches; extent of wings 4 feet 1 inch; bill along the back 1^, 

 along the edge L^j tarsus 2\\. 



The Female agrees in colouring, but is considerably larger. 



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