Bendire,] 136 [March 21, 



119. Archibuteo lagopus var. sanctijohannis (Gr.). 

 Rough-legged Hawk. 



An irregular winter visitor, common at some seasons, and entirely- 

 wanting in others. During the winter of 1874 and 1875 I shot a 

 number, while in the succeeding season I noticed only a single one. 

 No two birds were alike in plumage, the lighter colored specimens 

 predominating. I only secured a single very dark colored male 

 March 6, 1875. In April they had all disappeared. Their principal 

 food while here was cotton-tail rabbits. 



120. Aquila chrysaetus var. Canadensis (Linn.). Golden 

 Eagle. 



Moderately abundant throughout the mountainous portions during 

 the greater part of the year. Each pair appears to confine itself to 

 a certain district, and no others breed there. I have heard of sev- 

 eral nests in this vicinity at intervals of about twenty miles from the 

 other. One pair had occupied a nest within three miles of this post 

 for a number of years. It was an enormous structure, some of the 

 sticks of which it was composed were over two inches in diameter. 

 It was placed on a large pine tree close to the trunk, about three and 

 a half feet high and nearly three feet wide. It contained two young 

 birds about two weeks old May 18, 1875. These I took some three 

 weeks afterwards, and have them at present, Jan., 1877. The top of 

 the nest was nearly flat and contained, besides the birds, a medium 

 sized specimen of Arctomys flaviventer (Bachman) weighing about 

 three pounds, partly eaten up. The old birds made no resistance when 

 their young were taken, one only circling around some five hundred 

 yards above the tree, uttering a shrill cry resembling kiah kiah. The 

 young were very cleanly, and fed readily on fresh meat, and also used 

 water freely. One is considerably larger than the other (presumably 

 a female). I had some hopes of taming this bird at first, but have 

 given this up long since as a useless attempt. The small one was 

 always cross, and at present it is unsafe for any one to go into the 

 stable without a good sized club. They will attack anything coming 

 near them, and are particularly hostile to dogs. Both birds are 

 larger than an old male of this species caught in a trap and brought 

 to me some time in the winter of 1875. Its colors were mueh lighter 

 than those of the young, which are dark brownish black throughout, 

 excepting the basal portion of the tail, which is greyish white, and 

 the nape on which the feathers are edged with fulvous. The birds 

 are very fond of bathing and keep themselves scrupulously clean. 



