190 NOTES ON THE 



the borders of the forest for constructing their nests in, if con- 

 tiguous to open, dry prairie, but will employ scattering ones, 

 or the ground along the course of streams running through 

 sections favoring the supply of their food, which consists 

 chiefly of small quadrupeds and grasshoppers. 



The nest, like those of most of its genus, is constructed of 

 coarse sticks, on which rather smaller ones are placed, mixed 

 with twigs, over which are laid grass and some leaves. The 

 eggs bear similar colors to those of the Red-tails. 



They are the most abundant Hawk in northern Dakota, and 

 scarcely less so in the sections of Minnesota immediately con- 

 tiguous. They retire somewhat earlier than do the Red-shoul- 

 dered and Red-tailed in autumn, the latest record I have being 

 October 17th. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill wide at base, compressed towards the tip, lobed, cere 

 large; wing long, third quill longest; tail moderate, rather 

 wide, even at the tip; tarsus feathered in front nearly half its 

 length, naked behind, the baie portion in front having about 

 twelve transverse scales; toes rather short, the claws strong; 

 entire upper parts dark brown, nearlj^ black in the middle of 

 many feathers, paler on the edges; quills brownish black, with 

 wide transverse bands of cinereous on their inner webs, becom- 

 ing paler and nearly pure white towards the base of the quill; 

 tail brown tinged with ashy, and having about ten to twelve 

 transverse bands of a darker shade of brown, the subterminal of 

 which is widest; tip edged with white; throat white, with lon- 

 gitudinal lines of dark brown; neck before and breast ashy-brown, 

 nearly the same color as the tail, some of the feathers edged 

 with reddish; other under parts white, nearly pure on the 

 under tail coverts, and with transverse irregular bars of rufous 

 on the tibia? and the flanks, and darker brownish-rufous on the 

 abdomen; under wing coverts white, with a few spots of trans- 

 verse stripes of brown; bill dark slate; tarsi, toes, and cere 

 yellow. 



Length (of female). 21.50; wing, 16; tail, 8.50. 



Habitat, western North America. 



BI'TEO LATISSIMUS (Wilson). (343.) 

 BROAD-WINGED HAWK. 



A little above the Falls of Minnehaha there is a limited 

 forest of dense timber, consisting of nearly all of the ordinary 

 varieties of deciduous trees. Through it run in several direc- 

 tions, obsolete wagon ways over w^hich thrifty undergrowths 

 of different kinds have formed arches high enough for a horse 

 and carriage to pass under. Along side of one of these through 



