262 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



specimen that had been feeding on a meadow-mouse. On his approach it 

 uttered a whining whistle and flew to anotlier tree. Another of the same 

 species was observed, and its movements were in wide circles, with unmoving 

 wings. Nuttall never met with it, and regarded it as very rare. 



Audubon characterizes this Hawk as spiritless, inactive, and deficient in 

 courage, seldom chasing other birds of prey, but itself frer|uently annoyed 

 by the little Sparrow-Hawk, the Kingbird, and the Martin. It only attacks 

 birds of a weak nature, young chickens, and ducklings, and feeds on small 

 animals and insects. It is usually found singly, is easily a])proac]ied, and 

 when wounded throws itself on its back, erects its top feathers, utters a 

 hissing sound, and attempts to defend itself with its talons. 



A nest of this bird, found by Mr. Audubon, is said to have been about 

 the size of that of the Crow, and to have been placed in the larger branches 

 of a tree, near the trunk. It w^as composed externally of dry sticks and 

 briers ; internally, of small roots, and lined with numerous large feathers. 

 The nest found by Professor Adams, near Middlebury, "N't., was quite large, 

 and was coarsely constructed of sticks, and lined only with fibrous roots and 

 fine grass. In this instance the eggs were three. Tliis is the more usual 

 number, though occasionally four or five are found. 



Mr. Boardman informs me that Mr. Audubon's account of the spiritless 

 manner in which one of these Hawks suffered him to capture it on its nest 

 does not at all correspond with his o\vn experience. He has, on the con- 

 trary, found it one of the most courageous and spirited of its family. On 

 one occasion, when a man employed by him was ascending to a nest, a 

 parent bird assailed the disturber with great fury, tore his cap from his head, 

 and would have done the man serious injury had it not been shot. In 

 another instance one of these birds attacked a boy climbing to its nest, and 

 fastened its talons in his arm, and could not be removed until it was beaten 

 off and killed with a club. 



The eggs of this Hawk have an average length of 2.09 inches, and an 

 average breadth of 1.61. The smallest egg measures 1.94 by 1.50 inches, 

 and the largest 2.11 by 1.72 inches, showing considerable variation in their 

 relative capacity, but not so much as is found among the eggs of other spe- 

 cies. In shape, the eggs are of a slightly rounded oval, one end a little 

 less obtuse than the other. The ground-color is of a grayish or dirty white, 

 occasionally with a slightly silvery shading. Tliese are marked, usually 

 over the entire egg, in irregular distribution, with varying shades of brown. 

 The more common is a light tawny or reddish-liro-wn. Intermingled with 

 these Ijlotches are often found a peculiar faint purplish-brown, dull shading 

 of a light yellowish-brown, and a deep rich shade of purplish-brown, 

 approaching occasionally almost in intensity to black. These may occur 

 separately, or they may all be found Ijlended in the same egg. The size, 

 shape, and peculiar coloring of the eggs of this Hawk make them readily 

 recognizable, though not readily permitting a satisfactory description. 



