54 
ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. 
ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON FALCO LAGOPUS. 
Plate XXXIII. Fig. 1. 
Arct. Zool. p. 200, No. 92. — Lath. i. 75. — Peale's Museum, No. 116. 
BUTEO LAGOPUS. — Bechstein ? 
Rough-legged Falcon, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Supp. — Pew. Pr. Birds, Supp. — 
Rough-legged Buzzard, Selby's Illust. Pr. Ornith. i. p. 20. pi. 7. — Falco lagopus, 
Temm. Man. i. p. 65 Bonap. Synop. p. 32 Buteo lagopus, Flem. Pr. Anim. 
p. 54. — North. Zool. ii. p. 52. 
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 
they nestle, often in security from any clamberer that has not the assistance of 
a rope ; though the appearance of a stranger immediately calls forth peculiarly 
shrill and timid notes of alarm. When the young are hatched, and partly 
advanced, they may be seen stretching out from their hole, and, on the appear- 
ance of their parent, mutual greetings are heard, and in a tone at once different 
from those before mentioned. Our native species, in addition to rocks, delights 
in ruined buildings as a breeding place ; and it is remarkable, that perhaps 
more Kestrels build and bring to maturity their young in London, than in any 
space of the same dimensions : the breeding places there are the belfries of 
the different churches, where neither the bustle beneath, nor the jingle of the 
bells, seems to have any effect upon them. 
We have the following characteristic observations on this species in the 
Northern Zoology : — 
“ In the vicinity of Carlton House, where the plains are beautifully orna- 
mented by numerous small clumps of aspens, that give a rich picturesque 
effect to the landscape, which 1 have never seen equalled in an English park, 
this small Falcon was frequently discovered, perched upon the most lofty tree 
in the clump, sitting with his eye apparently closed, but, nevertheless, suffi- 
ciently awake to what was going on, as it would occasionally evince, by 
suddenly pouncing upon any small bird that happened to come within its reach. 
It is the least shy of any of the American Hawks ; and, when on its perch, 
will suffer the fowler to advance to the foot of the tree, provided he has the 
precaution to make a slow and devious approach. He is not, however, 
unnoticed ; for the bird shews, by the motion of its head, that he is carefully 
watching his manoeuvres, though, unless he walks directly towards it, it is not 
readily alarmed. When at rest, the wings are closely applied to the sides, 
with their tips lying over the tail, about one-third from its end ; and the tail 
