ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 49 



The old bird, which has a very different look as to colour, has been noticed 

 or described under different names. 



Black Hawk, Fako niger, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vi. p. 82, pi. liii. fig. 1. 

 Falco Sancti-Johannis, Bonap. Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 32. 



The bill, feet, and iris are coloured as in middle age; but the plumage is 

 of a nearly uniform chocolate-brown, the bases of the quills, however, remain- 

 ing white, the broad band on the under surface of the wing being the same 

 as in the younger bird; and the tail being brown, without a subterminal bar 

 of black, but slightly tipped with brownish-white, and barred with yellowish- 

 white on the inner webs, the bars becoming more distinct on the outer feathers. 

 The wings in both reach to near the tip of the tail. The feathers on the 

 nape of the neck are white, excepting at the extremities, which is also the 

 case in the young and middle aged birds, and is not a circumstance peculiar 

 to this species, being observed in F. tdlbicilla, F. palumbarius, F. Nisus, 

 and many others. 



Genus III.— AQUILA, Briss. EAGLE. 



Bill rather short, deep, compressed; upper mandible with the dorsal out- 

 line nearly straight and sloping at the base, beyond the cere decurved, the 

 sides sloping and slightly convex, the edges nearly straight, with a slight 

 convexity and a shallow sinus close to the strong subtrigonal tip; lower man- 

 dible with the dorsal outline convex, the tip obliquely truncate. Head large, 

 roundish, flattened above. Nostrils oval, oblique, nearer the ridge than the 

 margin. Neck rather short. Body very large. Feet rather short, very 

 robust; tarsi roundish, feathered to the toes, which are rather short, united 

 at the base by short webs, covered above with a series of angular scales, and 

 towards the end with a few large scutella; claws long, curved, rounded, flat 

 beneath, acuminate. Plumage compact, imbricated, glossy; feathers of the 

 head and neck narrow and pointed; space between the bill and eye covered 

 with small bristle-pointed feathers, disposed in a radiating manner. Wings 

 long, the fourth quill longest; the first short; the outer six abruptly cut out 

 on the inner web. Tail rather long, ample, rounded. 



Vol. I. 8 



