276 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



Of 56 stomachs reported by Dr. Fisher, 2 contained poultry; 

 41, small birds; 2, mice; 16, insects; and 5 were empty. Pigeons 

 and flickers, robins, and the various blackbirds are favorites in 

 the Pigeon Plawk's dietary, and it has been known to kill a 

 ptarmigan and a domestic hen. Three stomachs examined by 

 the author contained birds. 



The only other Hawk not distinctly beneficial is the Osprey or 

 Fish Hawk {Pandion haliaetus carolinensis). Its food consists 

 wholly of fish ; but, as the latter are not generally species used by 

 us for food, it cannot be considered harmful. 



The Marsh Hawk {Circus hudsonius) , distinguished by its 

 white rump, sj>ends its time beating back and forth over the 

 meadows after field mice, although it may have recourse to small 

 birds or chickens when driven by hunger. A nest containing four 

 young and one hatching egg, was found by the author on June 

 12, 1900, in a meadow at Warren not far from a farmhouse where 

 there were many young chickens. These chickens were not dis- 

 turbed until after June 15th, when the male was shot and sent 

 to the author. Its stomach contained a mouse. Three days later 

 came the female and one of the young with the statement that, 

 as soon as the male was killed, the female began to prey on the 

 chickens. The proofs of this were the remains of a young chicken 

 and the shell of a robin's egg in the stomach of the female, while 

 that of the young bird contained a mouse. 



Of 124 stomachs reported by Dr. Fisher, 7 contained poultry 

 or game birds ; 34, other birds ; 57, mice ; 22, other mammals ; 7, 

 reptiles; 2, frogs; 14, insects; i, indeterminate matter; and 8 

 were empty. Mr. E. T. Judd found three birds in the stomach 

 of one shot in North Dakota, and Mr. G. V. Smith found birds 

 in two he shot near New Haven. Of 11 stomachs examined by 

 the author, 4 were empty; 5 contained mammals; 3, birds; i, a 

 snake; and i, a robin's egg. 



Our Buzzard-hawks — Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and 

 Broad-winged {Buteo borealis horealis, lincatus Uneatus, and 

 platypterus) are the birds we see sailing in wide circles high over 

 head. They are rather sluggish in temperament, seldom catch 

 birds and still more rarely poultry, and are among the most useful 

 allies the agriculturist possesses in his contest with field mice and 

 other injurious small mammals. The Broad-winged Hawk also 



