292 
GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. 
were discovered the legs of the Sanderling. The figure in the 
plate is an excellent resemblance of the original, which is hand- 
somely set up in the Philadelphia Museum. 
I am indebted to my friend, Mr. Titian Peale, for tbe view of 
an immature specimen of the Duck Hawk, which he shot near the 
Rocky Mountains ; it was quite young, having just left the nest. 
Its colours were prineipally a dirty white, and a reddish brown ; 
the pateh below the eye not very conspicuous ; but the characters 
of the bill and feet proved the species. 
According to Temminck, the Peregrine Falcon never inhabits 
marshy countries ; but this, I presume, is a mistake, as our bird is 
remarkable for its attachment to those places which are affected by 
the water fowl, and it is well known that the latter abound in all 
the marshes of the coast. 
In the month of November, 1823, I procured a fine living 
specimen of the Duck Hawk, which I preserved, with the view of 
noting its change of plumage. It was a female, and was allowed 
the free range of a stable and garden. Notwithstanding my care, 
it lived but nine months. On dissection, I found her eggs very 
small, although she had every appearance of being an adult. 
Around the base of the heart, and near the ovaries, I discovered 
two or three round worms, of about nine inches in length. 
During the time that she was in my possession she did not 
moult ; and the change in the colour of the plumage was but slight. 
In winter, the upper parts were dark brown, but in the summer 
there was an appearance of ash colour on the back and wing-co- 
verts. The fact, that the plumage of birds undergoes a change of 
colour, independent of moulting, appears to be now well ascprtain- 
ed ; and it is with pleasure that I can add my testimony, on this 
subject, to the sensible “ Remarks on the Changes of the Plumage 
of Birds,” which were published in the twelfth volume of the Trans- 
actions of the Linnean Society of London. The paper in question 
was written by the Rev. William Whitear. 
