BROAD-WINGED HAWK 249 



Fall. — From the northern portion of its range the autumnal 

 migration starts during the latter part of August, but the main 

 flight passes through the Northern States in September, Mr. Burns 

 (1911) says: "The retrograde movement can be traced in the east 

 through Rhode Island, Connecticut, southeastern New York, north- 

 ern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and Maryland and Virginia, 

 when it is lost." 



Dr. C. C.Trowbridge (1895) writes: 



Always during the last few days of August, and even later, before the brisk 

 fall winds commenced to blow, a few stragglers of the Accipiters and Buteos 

 would be seen soaring southward in Connecticit, some drifting with the wind 

 far above in the clouds, while others were sailing low down over the fields. 



But in the middle of September, when the stronger winds blew from the 

 northwest and north, and the temperature lowered, the number of hawks 

 which were passing greatly increased. Sometimes, however, when there was 

 little or no wind, and the day was warm and dull, or if the prevailing winds 

 had been southerly for several days, very few hawks were observed. But 

 suddenly, when a fair breeze had sprung up from the northwest, the sky above 

 the land near the sea-coast became almost clouded with hawks of various 

 species, active and restless, circling and soaring about. 



Flights in which there were many hundreds of birds I have seen many 

 times, and I have on certain occasions counted several hundred hawks soaring 

 together in one flock, looking like an immense swarm of gigantic insects. 

 Often on a day after a flight, the wind having turned again to the south, many 

 species of hawks were found in the woods and about ledges of cliffs, some 

 perching on old trees, others lazily feeding, while a few were seen soaring 

 about in a sluggish manner, showing the presence of an unusual number of 

 hawks, although few of them appeared to be migrating. 



Describing a day's flight, he says : 



On the 16th day of September of the following year (1887), there occurred 

 another great flight of hawks, and I was again fortunate enough to witness it. 

 There was little wind at first, and the hawks did not appear until nine o'clock 

 in the morning, when a few Sharp-shinned Hawks were observed. But later 

 on in the day, the wind increased in force. Thousands of hawks of different 

 species fiew past New Haven, and Broad-winged Hawks (Buteo latissimus), 

 both adults and young, appeared soaring in immense clusters. In one great 

 flock alone there must have been three hundred hawks, the greater part of 

 which were undoubtedly Buteo latissimus although with field glasses I dis- 

 tinguished several species in the flock. I also observed several Bald Eagles 

 (Haliaectus leuoocephalus) in various plumages, circling high. The flight con- 

 tinued from nine o'clock in the morning until darkness set in In the evening. 

 The day was cool and flne and the wind blew very briskly from the north. On 

 the next day there was a flight for a short time early in the morning, but the 

 direction of the wind changed and the flight ceased soon after. 



From Sussex County, N. J., comes the following account by Mr. 

 von Lengerke (Burns, 1911) : 



On Sept. 22, '07, the number exceeded any ever observed before. I was on the 

 top of a mountain near Stag Lake, about 1200 ft. above sea level. I was 

 armed with a Hensoldt binocular eight power glass. The day was clear, and 

 83561—37 17 



