THE MUSEUM. 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. I. 



ALBION, N. Y., JANUARY 15, 1895. 



No. 3 



Notes on the Nesting of the Duck 

 Hawk. 



As the Peregrine Falcon is quite rare 

 in this locahty and still rarer as a 

 "Nidiologist," the following brief de- 

 scription of a nest found by the writer, 

 may interest " Museum '" readers. 

 While out on March 29th, last, start- 

 ing the " '93 Oological " collecting a 

 few miles down the beautiful Tennessee 

 river, myself and two friends com- 

 menced a diligent search for the eggs 

 of Black and Turkey Vultures, who 

 nest in common along the rocky cliffs 

 overhanging the river. We knew of 

 one favorite hole or cave of the "Buz- 

 zards," w^hich was on account of its 

 central and perpendicular location al- 

 ways considered inaccessible, but just 

 to find out whether the birds were nest- 

 ing, one of my friends threw a large 

 stone over the edge of the cliff, making 

 a great noise in its descent and a ter- 

 rific splash when it reached the water. 

 Almost immediately and first, with a 

 yell sailed out a beautiful female Duck 

 Hawk followed by two Black Vultures. 

 We hailed the appearance of the first 

 with surprise and delight as this bird 

 was the first we had observed in the 

 breeding season, and my eyes rested in 

 imagination on a beautiful set of eggs, 

 almost within our grasp. However, 

 having no means of descent down the 

 overhanging cliff, after a little delib- 

 eration we concluded to assail the posi- 

 tion later with the necessary accesso- 

 ries. So leaving the Duck Hawk with 

 her loud monotonous Kack-kak-kak-kak 



as she flew up and down in front of the 

 cliff, we returned to our boat and home 

 without a single specimen of "Oology" 

 to mark the first hunt of the season, 

 but more enthusiastic than ever. 



The next opportunity occurred on 

 April 4th, when with rope ladder, sur- 

 plus ropes, guns, lunch, etc., we jump- 

 ed into our boat and were soon beneath 

 the homes of our rapacious feathered 

 friends. After reaching the summit of 

 the cliff, which was well-timbered with 

 pine, cedar, and scrub-growth, I de- 

 scended on foot as far as possible while 

 one of my friends threw a small moun- 

 tain or rather rolled it over the edge of 

 the cliff in precisely the same place as 

 on the first occasion, and to our joy, 

 with precisely the same resutls. My 

 location was a good one and as her 

 slaty back made its appearance from 

 beneath a huge overhanging limestone 

 rock one great obstacle was overcome 

 and the key to the position was in my 

 grasp. I called to my friends to stand 

 directly over the spot and we soon had 

 our rope-ladder, 35 feet long, attached 

 to an overhanging cedar. Taking off 

 shoes, hat and coat I was soon dang- 

 ling a hundred feet above the river, 

 but having been a gymnastic prize- 

 taker and a light-weight, I felt as much 

 at home as one can under the circum- 

 stances. In two minutes I was at the 

 end of my rope but fortunately it was 

 not more than about three feet from 

 the ledge which was two feet, appar- 

 ently, in width, with a scrub cedar of 

 stout growth on its outer edge. I could 



