THE NEW SPORT OF "HAWKING" 265 



of a great hawk as she sat upon the nest. Our glances met, 

 and she instantly flew. The hollow of the nest concealed the 

 contents from view. A week later I returned with a friend, 

 and climbing-irons. The hawk flew as we neared the nest. 

 My friend climbed and found two eggs, while I took a pic- 

 ture of the nest and his descent from it. 



The Red-tailed Hawk builds the largest nest that is ordi- 

 narily found in the woods, yet individual nests vary. The 

 one just mentioned was so flimsy an affair that I should have 

 dismissed it without further thought, had I not seen the 

 hawk. The year before, in fact, I passed it by, when it was 

 undoubtedly occupied. It was very unlike the first one that 

 I found, near the village of Middleboro. I was searching 

 a tract of very tall pines, when, on the border of a wood road, 

 I saw an enormous bristling mass of sticks, very high up, 

 the sight of which instantly quickened my pulse. A stick with 

 which I tried to strike the tree broke off in my hands at the 

 first attempt. But the great Red-tail above heard it, and 

 sailed off gracefully as a fleecy cloud. How I hurried up that 

 tree, and then gazed and gazed at the two large eggs that 

 lay in the slight hollow of that great platform nearly a yard 

 across, on a slight lining of moss, bark, and pine twigs ! This 

 bird was not demonstrative, but after circling and sounding 

 the usual harsh squeal for a few moments, departed, followed 

 by a few angry crows. 



Consistency seems to mark the whole career of this red- 

 tailed tribe. The bird is big, lays big eggs in a big nest, and 

 that earlier than any other hawk. For convenience' sake we 

 look for the nests of the Red-tail and Red-shoulder at the 

 same time, but in fact the former is fully a week ahead, on the 

 average. I have even known of incubated eggs being found 

 in the last week of March, when snow was on the ground, 

 and the weather quite cold. 



