78 
FALCO LAGOPUS. 
of April, these birds abandon this part of the countty’ 
and retire to the north to breed. ^ 
They are common, durinj^ winter, in the lower p®^ 
of Maryland, and numerous in the extensive meadoJ_ 
below Newark, New Jersey ; arc frequent alon^T 
Connecticut river, and, according to Pennant, inhiw' 
England, Norway, and Lapraark. Their flight is 
and heavy. They are often seen coursing over 1^ 
surface of the meadows, long after sunset, many tii® j 
in pairs. They generally roost on the tall detach'; 
trees that rise from these low grounds ; and take th*^' 
stations, at day-break, near a ditch, bank, or hay sta'^*'’ 
for hours together, watching, with patient vigila"!;^' 
for the fii'st unlucky frog, mouse, or lizard, to make ' 
appearance. The instant one of these is descried, 
hawk, sliding into the air, and tal<iiig a circuitel*' 
course along the surface, sweeps over the spot, au<l '' 
an instant has his prey grappled and sprawling in th 
air. 
The rough-legged hawk measures twenty-two inch'’- 
in length, and four feet two inches in extent ; ci’ty' 
sides of the mouth, and feet, rich yellow; legs, feathei’s 
to the toes, with brownish yellow plumage, streak'’*' 
with brown ; femorals the same ; toes, co”raparativw 
short; claws and bill, blue black; iris of the e)'e, bri^h 
amber; upper part of the head, pale ochre, streaked 
brown ; back and ndngs, chocolate, each feather edg^ 
with bright ferruginous; first four primaries, neat)) 
black about the tips, edged externally with silvery " 
some lights ; rest of the quills, dark chocolate ; 
side, and interior vanes, white; tail coverts, "hh^' 
tail, rounded, white, with a broad band of diu-k bro" j 
near the end, and tipt with white; body below, 
breast, light yellow ochre, blotched and streaked " i' 
chocolate. What constitutes a characteristic mark 
this bird, is a belt, or girdle, of very dark brown, pas*!"? 
round the belly just below the breast, and reachii’^ 
under the wings to the rump; head, veiy broad, 
hill uncommonly small, suited to the humility of 
prey. 
