SPECIES 13. FALCO LJiGOPUS* 
ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. 
[Plate XXXIII.— Fig. 1.] 
Arct. Zool. p. 200, JVo. 92. — Latham, i, T5 . — Peale’s Museum, 
JVo. 116. 
This handsome species, notwithstanding its formidable size 
and appearance, spends the chief part of the winter among our 
low swamps and meadows, watching for mice, frogs, lame 
ducks, and other inglorious game. Twenty or thirty individu- 
als of this family have regularly taken up their winter quar- 
ters, for several years past, and probably long anterior to that 
date, in the meadows below this city, between the rivers Dela- 
ware and Schuylkill, where they spend their time watching 
along the dry banks like cats; or sailing low and slowly over 
the surface of the ditches. Though rendered shy from the 
many attempts made to shoot them, they seldom fly far, usual- 
ly from one tree to another, at no great distance, making a loud 
squeeling as they arise, something resembling the neighing of 
a young colt; though in a more shrill and savage tone. 
The bird represented in the plate was one of this fraternity; 
and several others of the same association have been obtained 
and examined during the present winter. On comparing these 
with Pennant’s description, referred to above, they correspond 
so exactly, that no doubts remain of their being the same spe- 
cies. Towards the beginning of April, these birds abandon 
this part of the country, and retire to the north to breed. 
They are common during winter in the lower parts of Mary- 
land, and numerous in the extensive meadows below Newark, 
* We add the following synonymes: Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 19. — Gsiel. Syst. i, 
p. 260. — Temm. Man. d’Orn. i, p. 65. 
