ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. 
77 
upper half, black towards their points; lining of the 
wings white ; legs, yellow, short, and thick, and feathered 
before half way below the knee; claws, much curved, 
whitish ; outer claw, very small. The greater part of 
the plumage is white at the base ; and, when the 
scapulars are a little displaced, they appear spotted 
with white. 
This was a male in perfect plumage. The colour and 
markings of the male and female are nearly alike. 
SUBGENUS VIII. BATED , BECHSTEIN. 
17. FALCO LAG OF US, WILSON. ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. 
WILSON, PLATE XXXIII. FIG. I. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
This handsome species, notwithstanding its formi- 
dable 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 individuals of this family have regularly 
taken up their winter quarters, for several years past, 
and probably long anterior to that date, in the meadows 
below this city, between the rivers Delaware 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, usually from one tree to another at no great 
distance, making a loud squeeling as they arise, some- 
thing resembling the neighing of a young colt, though 
in a more shrill and savage tone. 
On comparing these with Pennant’s description,* 
they corresponded so exactly, that no doubts remain of 
their being the same species. Towards the beginning 
Arctic Zoology, p. 200, No. 92# 
