ROUGII-LEGGED FALCON. 73 
frequent along the Connecticut river ; and, according to Pennant, 
inhabit EngUind, Norway and La2)mark. Their flight is slow and 
heavy. They are often seen coursing over the surface of the meadows, 
long after sunset, many times in pairs. They generally roost on the 
tall, detached trees, that rise from these low grounds ; and take their 
stations, at daybreak, near a ditch, bank, or hay-stack, for hours 
together, watching, with patient vigilance, for the first unlucky frog, 
mouse or lizard, to make its appearance. The instant one of these is 
descried, the hawk, sliding into the air, and taking a circuitous course 
along the surface, sweeps over the spot, and in an instant has his prey 
grappled and sprawling in the air. 
The Eough-legged Hawk measures twenty-two inches in length, and 
four feet two inches in extent ; cere, sides of the mouth, and feet, rich 
yellow ; legs feathered to the toes with brownish yellow plumage, 
streaked with brown, femorals the same; toes comparatively short, 
claws and bill blue black ; iris of the eye bright amber ; upper part of 
the head pale ochre, streaked with brown ; back and wings chocolate, 
each feather edged with bright ferruginous ; first four primaries nearly 
black about the tips, edged externally with silvery in some lights ; rest 
of the quills dark chocolate ; lower side, and interior vanes, white ; 
tail-coverts white ; tail rounded, white, with a broad band of dark 
brown near the end, and tipped with Avhite ; body beloAV, and breast, 
light yellow ochre, blotched and streaked with chocolate. What con- 
stitutes a characteristic mark of this bird, is a belt or girdle, of very 
dark brown, passing round the belly, just below the breast, and reach- 
ing under the wings to the rump ; head very broad, and bill uncom- 
monly small, suited to the humility of its prey. 
The female is much darker both above and below, particularly in the 
belt or girdle, which is nearly black ; the tail-coverts are also spotted 
with chocolate ; she is also something larger. 
