202 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



measurements of 105 eggs average 52.6 by 42.7 millimeters ; the eggs 

 showing the four extremes measure 58.4 by 44.5, 56 by 45.8, 49.1 by 

 42.3, and 50 by 40,5 millimeters. 



Food. — This hawk lives on much the same kind of food as other 

 red-shouldered hawks, a small percentage of poultry and other birds 

 and a large percentage of insects and small vertebrates. Out of 20 

 stomachs reported on by Dr. A. K. Fisher (1893), only one contained 

 poultry and only two other birds, a sora rail and sparrows. Other 

 it^ms mentioned are mice, a catfish, frogs, lizards, snakes, a turtle, 

 dragonfiies, crickets, grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, cockroaches, 

 spiders, crawfish, earthworms, and various larvae. Bendire (1892) 

 adds, on the authority of Dr. William L. Ralph, "their food consists 

 principally of mice, Florida rats, young rabbits, the small gray 

 squirrel found in this State, and probably an occasional frog or 

 small snake." Arthur T. Wayne (1910) says: "During the breeding 

 season this hawk frequently catches chickens and even grown fowls, 

 but its principal food is mice, frogs, and snakes. It is very fond of 

 water-snakes and will sit on a dead tree by a pond of water for 

 hours waiting to prey upon them." 



Charles J. Pennock writes to me that "they may often be seen to 

 feed high up at the borders of a dense pall of smoke from a swamp 

 grass fire, where large, winged grasshoppers abound." One that he 

 shot was feeding on a fox squirrel. 



Behamor. — The habits of the Florida redshoulder are not essen- 

 tially different from those of its northern relative, except that it is 

 much less shy, often stupidly tame and unsuspicious. Often it will 

 sit on a pole or tree by the roadside and allow one to drive by within 

 a few yards. Only once have I had one offer to attack me near its 

 nest, and Mr. Savary had only one such experience. But Mr. Nichol- 

 son (1930) says: 



The birds are very bold and fearless in the defense of their nests, either 

 while the eggs are fresh, or with young. One day I visited five nests, and the 

 first bird carried away my cap in her talons and struck me such a severe 

 blow that it gave me a bad headache, and left a scratch on my forehead. 

 At two more nests I was attacked and struck upon the head. Many other 

 times this has happened. This bird coming swiftly as an arrow directly for 

 your head, screaming wildly, gives a timid soul the shivers, and unless you 

 wildly wave your arms and shout, most likely she will give you a stiff blow 

 that will put fear into you, and respect for their bravery. 



Mr. Savary says in his notes: "For a hawk it is a very gentle bird 

 among others of its kind and, not intolerant of neighbors, often 

 nests in the same grove with a crow or a caracara. In three instances 

 I have found its nest and a caracara's within 50 feet of each other. 

 There is one exception, however — it does not like the Florida barred 

 owl, and I have seen it in hot pursuit of one that had come near 



