356 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 



twigs, placed in a fork or crotch next to the trunk. The eggs, 

 about four in number, are laid near Boston, in the second week 

 of May. The}' measure 1-50X1'25 of an inch or less, and are 

 ■white (tinged with blue or green), sometimes unmarked, but 

 more often with a few large and prominent markings of dark 

 brown, chiefl}^ near the crown. 



(c). The Sharp-shinned Hawks are common summer-resi- 

 dents throughout New England, but near Boston, so far as I 

 have observed, are extremel}^ rare in winter, though I have 

 seen one boldl}- perched on the shafts of a wagon in a shed. 

 Though naturally shj', they are very impudent, and, trusting 

 to the rapidity of their flight, often commit some daring rob- 

 bery before the ejes of the farmer. They frequent the woods 

 much more than the Sparrow Hawk, and lie in wait there for 

 some unfortunate passer-by. Should a Robin make his ap- 

 pearance, they give chase, and though he fly never so quickly, 

 they soon overtake him. Sometimes, as they pass through the 

 woods, the}^ perceive some innocent bird feeding on the ground, 

 whom they seize and bear off almost before the traveler can 

 realize what has happened. So great is their eagerness and 

 daring that their victims can hardl^^ find any refuge from their 

 fury. Nuttall says in illustration of their impetuous violence 

 that " descending furiously and blindly upon its quarry, a 

 young Hawk of this species broke through the glass "of the 

 green-house at the Cambridge Botanic Garden, and fearlessly 

 passing through a second glass partition, he was only brought 

 up by the third, and caught, though little stunned by the ef- 

 fort. His wing-feathers were much torn by the glass, and his 

 flight in this way so impeded as to allow of his being ap- 

 proached." The Sharp-shinned Hawk characterizes all his 

 movements with the same speed and continual apparent haste, 

 the same restlessness and impetuosity. He often flies far, and 

 even at a great height, but much less often straight forward or 

 with a regular beat of the wings than the Pigeon Hawk. 

 When flying to a distance, his flappings are quick but some- 

 what irregular, but, when hunting, he moves nervously, now 

 high, now low, now to the right, now to the left, rarely having 



