Goss on Breeding of the Duck Hawk. 33 



River. The nest was in a large sycamore, about fifty feet from the 

 ground, in a trough-like cavity formed by the breaking off of a hol- 

 low limb near the body of the tree. I watched the pair closely, 

 with the view of securing both the birds and their eggs. March 27 

 I became satisfied that the birds were sitting, and I shot the female, 

 but was unable to get near enough to shoot the male. The next 

 morning I hired a young man to climb the tree, who found three 

 fresh eggs, laid on the fine soft rotten wood in a hollow worked out 

 of the same to fit the body. There was no other material or lining, 

 except a few feathers and down mixed with the decayed wood. 



The gronnd-color of the eggs is grayish-ochre, spotted and 

 blotched with dark reddish-brown, the blotches running together 

 towards the large end, where they are^ a shade darker. Length, 

 respectively, 2.20, 2.30, and 2.40; diameter of each, 1.70 inches. 



March 17, 1876, I found a pair nesting on the opposite side of 

 the river from the above-described nest, in a cottonwood, at least 

 sixty feet from the ground, the birds entering a knot-hole in the 

 tree, apparently not over five or six inches in diameter. The tree 

 was very straight, and without limbs to the nest, and consequently 

 out of reach. The birds were very noisy, but shy. I wounded 

 both the birds, but failed to get them. 



February 2, 1877, I noticed a pair flying into the same tree. 

 April 9, I shot them both. I now have the three birds in my col- 

 lection. The measurements, as taken from the birds when shot, 

 are as follows : — 



Sex. Length. Stretch of Wing. Wing. 



March 27, 1875 ? 20.00 46.00 15.00 



April9,1877 9 19.75 45.50 14.75 



April 9, 1877 $ 18.00 41.00 13.50 



Cere, .31. 



For a description of the species see " North American Birds," by 

 Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway (Vol. III. p. 128). I will add : Iris, 

 brown ; bill, horn-blue, with the base pale green ; cere and eyelids, 

 greenish-yellow ; legs and feet, lemon-yellow ; claws, black. 



April 30, 1877, I found a pair about four miles farther up the 

 river, breeding in a hollow broken limb of a giant sycamore. From 

 the actions of the birds, I think they had young. I feel confident 

 they will nest there next season, and, if so, shall try very hard to 

 procure the eggs. 



The birds are very noisy while mating, but silent during incuba- 

 tion. The males, so far as noticed, sit upon the eggs in the fore part 



