North American Birds Eggs. 161 



339. Red-shouldered Hawk. Ihitco liiiaifii.s. 



Hanue. Nortli Aincrica, cast of the Plains and from the southern parts of the 

 British Truvinres southward; ahunihxnt and breeding throughout its range. 



This species is smaller than the 

 Red-tailed and is not as powerfully .- —i^'-'y^j ^ 



built: length l'.> inches. The adults 

 are handsomely t)arred l)eneath with 

 reddish brown, giving the entire un- 

 derparts a ruddy color. Like the last 

 species, they rarely feed upon poultry, 

 confining their diet chiefly to mice, 

 rats, frogs, reptiles, etc. These Hawks 

 nest in the larger growths of timber, 

 usually building their nests high 

 above the ground. The nest is of 

 sticks, and lined with leaves, weeds 

 and pieces of bark. They lay three or 

 four eggs with a white ground color, 

 variously blotched and spotted, either 

 sparingly or heavily, with different 

 shades of brown. Size 2.15 x 1.75. 

 Data. — Kalamazoo, Michigan, April 

 25, 1898. Nest about 40 feet up in an oak tree; made of sticks and twigs and 

 lined with bark. 4 eggs. Collector, J. C. Holmes. 

 339a. Florida Red-shouldered Hawk. Huta> liiiaifiis (dlciii. 



Range. — Florida and tlie (iulf coast; north to South Carolina. The nesting 

 habits of this paler subspecies are precisely like those of the last species. 



339b. Red-bellied Hawk. lUitco liiteatus elcgaiis. 



Range.— Pacific coast from British Co- 

 lumbia south to Lower California, chiefly 

 west of the Rockies. 



This variety is similar to, but darker 

 than Hneatu.s, and the underparts are a 

 uniform reddish brown, witliout barring. 

 Their nests are like those of the Red- 

 shouldered variety, and almost always 

 placed high up in the largest trees. The 

 eggs are very similar, but average lighter, 

 in markings. Size 2.15 x 1.70. Data. — 

 San Diego. Cal., April 13, 1897. Nest in 

 a sj'camore 20 feet from ground, made of 

 sticks, leaves and feathers. Collector, 

 E. A. S hives. 



.^, 



^ 



340. Zone-tailed Hawk. Buteo abbreviatus. 



Range. — Mexico and Central America, 



north to the Mexican border of the United 



States. 



This species, which is 19 inches long, 

 is wholly black with the exception of the 

 tail, which is banded. Their nests are 

 built in heavy woods, and preferably in 

 trees along the bank of a stream. The 

 nest is of the usual Hawk construction, 

 and the two to four eggs are white, faint- 

 ly marked with pale chestnut. Data. — 

 Marathon, Texas. Nest of sticks, lined 

 with weetls and rabbit fur; on a horizon- 

 tal branch of a cotton-wood tree, 30 feet up. 

 Collector, E. F. Pope. 

 12 



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