ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD. 
49 
The old bird, which has a very different look as to colour, has been noticed 
or described under different names. 
Black Hawk, Falco niger , Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vL p. 82, pi. liii. fig. 1. 
Falco Sancti-Johannis, Bonap. Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 32. 
The bill, feet, and iris are coloured as in middle age ; but the plumage is 
of a nearly uniform chocolate-brown, the bases of the quills, however, 
remaining white, Ihe broad band on the under surface of the wing being the 
same as in the younger bird ; and the tail being brown, without a subterminal 
bar of black, but slightly tipped with brownish-white, and barred with 
yellowish-white on the inner webs, the bars becoming more distinct oii the 
outer feathers. The wings in both reach to near the tip of the tail. The 
feathers on the nape of the neck are white, excepting at the extremities, 
which is also the case in the young and middle-aged birds, and is not a 
circumstance peculiar to this species, being observed in F. Albicilla, F. 
palumbarius, F. JYisus, and many others. 
Genus III. — AQUILA, Briss. EAGLE. 
Bill rather short, deep, compressed ; upper mandible with the dorsal out- 
line nearly straight and sloping at the base, beyond the cere decurved, the 
sides sloping and slightly convex, the edges nearly straight, with a slight 
convexity and a shallow sinus close to the strong subtrigonal tip ; lower man- 
dible with the dorsal outline convex, the tip obliquely truncate. Head large, 
roundish, flattened above. Nostrils oval, oblique, nearer the ridge than the 
margin. Neck rather short. Body very large. Feet rather short, very 
robust ; tarsi roundish, feathered to the toes, which are rather short, united 
at the base by short webs, covered above with a series of angular scales, and 
towards the end with a few large scutella ; claws long, curved, rounded, flat 
beneath, acuminate. Plumage compact, imbricated, glossy ; feathers of the 
head and neck narrow and pointed ; space between the bill and eye covered 
with small bristle-pointed feathers, disposed in a radiating manner*. Wings 
long, the fourth quill longest ; the first short ; the outer six abruptly cut out 
on the inner web. Tail rather long, ample, rounded. 
Vol. I. § 
