HARRIS'S HAWK 143 



Major Beiidire (1892) writes of some Arizona nests: 



Personally I met with the nest of this bird on but three occasions during the 

 spring of 1872, while stationed near Tucson, Arizona. One of these nests, con- 

 taining two fresli eggs, was found on May 17. It was a bulky structure, placed 

 in a low bushy cottonwood tree, in a fork about 20 feet up, about 10 miles below 

 Tucson, near the Laguua, the sink of tlie Santa Cruz River. It was composed 

 of sticks, and sparingly lined with pieces of the dry inner bark of the cotton- 

 wood, and grasses. The bird made no liostile demonstrations, but sailed slowly 

 around above the nest out of gunshot range. The inner cavity of the nest was 

 slight. 



The two other nests, each containing but two eggs, were found in low 

 mesquite trees, about 15 feet above the ground, on June 4 and June 6, respec- 

 tively. The first nest was a very slight affair, composed of mesquite sticks, as 

 well as the dry seed pods of this tree, and a little grass. While standing 

 directly under the nest I could see the eggs through the bottom of it. The third 

 one was similarly situated, and both were found on the barren plains west of 

 the camp. 



Eggs, — Harris's hawk lays three to five eggs, usually three or four. 

 The eggs are oval or ovate in shape, and the shell is smooth but with- 

 out gloss. They are dull white or very pale bluish white and are 

 usually unmarked. On close examination some of the eggs (Major 

 Bendire says about one-half of them) are very sparingly and faintly 

 spotted with small spots or dots of pale brown, buff, or lavender. 

 The measurements of 52 eggs average 53.7 by 42.1 millimeters; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 57.5 by 4:4:.5, 57 by 45.5, and 

 49 by 38.5 millimeters. 



Young. — Incubation is said to last for about four weeks and to be 

 shared by both sexes. Bendire (1892) says that "the eggs are de- 

 posited at intervals of several days, but incubation commences as 

 soon as the first Qgg is laid." Both sexes assist in the care of the 

 young. 



Plumages. — The downy young is thickly covered with soft down, 

 which at first is "pinkish buff" to "pinkish cinnamon" above and 

 buffy white to grayish white below. In some the color of the upper 

 parts is darker, approaching the bright "ferruginous" of the adult 

 shoulders; but it fades out to buffy white before the plumage is 

 assumed. 



In full Juvenal plumage the upper parts are "warm sepia" or 

 "bister", with broad edgings of "warm buff" over the eyes and on 

 the hind neck and with concealed bars of "ochraceous-tawny" on the 

 scapulars; the wing coverts are conspicuously barred with "ochra- 

 ceous-tawny" ; the remiges are dark sepia above, with narrow darker 

 bars, and whitish below, with narrow dusky bars ; the rectrices are 

 sepia above, with numerous darker bars, but lighter and tinged with 

 rufous on the inner webs ; the rectrices are grayish white below, with 

 narrow duslcy bars, and are broadly tipped with buffy white; the 

 upper and under tail coverts are white, tinged with buff; the under 



