110 



THE OOLOGIST. 



minute, the sun having already set. So 

 I turned about and started homeward 

 in a northeastern direction. I now re- 

 crossed the ravine, but at its northern 

 end where it was nari*ow and sparingly 

 covered with brush and second growths. 



Directly opposite the ravine from 

 where I started to cross it, was a large 

 oak, about a rod back from where the 

 big trees were again growing. As the 

 tree was in my direct course I passed 

 within a few feet from it. When I 

 stopped to look up and " admire its 

 beauty. I indistinctly saw in the main 

 fork a nest of sticks. Immediately I 

 made preparations for ascending, and 

 as I did so a Hawk flew therefrom and 

 into the fast approaching dusk. The 

 nest was not very high so it did not 

 take me long to come up to a level with 

 it. R contained two eggs which were 

 new to me, these were a light blue and 

 covered on the larger end with blotches 

 of rich brown. In size somewhat 

 larger than the eggs of either the 

 Marsh or Cooper's Hawks while decid- 

 edly smaller than those of the Red-tail- 

 ed or Swainson's Hawks. As it was an 

 incomplete set I decided to leave them 

 for several days for completion. 



Making my way downward and gath- 

 ering my efifects I groped my way 

 through the woods in a homeward di- 

 rection. The sky was clouded over and 

 a storm threatening. After clearing 

 the woods my progress was both rapid 

 and easier and I was soon at home, 

 just in time for supper. After heartily 

 partaking of the same I consulted the 

 authorities, such as were at my com- 

 mand, and placed it as probably the 

 Broad-winged Hawk. 



Several days later, on May 4th, to be 

 correct, I slipped away from my work 

 for a brief visit to the Hawk's nest. As 

 I found nothing on my way in the Rap- 

 toi'ial line I will not stop to describe 

 the tramping to the "New Nest." Suf- 

 fice to say the day was exceedingly 

 warm for that early date and that I was 



quite exhausted at my anival at 

 "Hawksville" as I often of late called 

 this particular grove, which seemed 

 quite well supplied with various spec- 

 ies of Hawks. 



After coming within sight of the nest 

 I saw it was occupied by Madam Hawk . 

 Accordingly I rapped on the tree with 

 a stick, but she refused to leave and 

 only did so after repeated loud rap- 

 pings, whon she slid from the nest and 

 flew across the ravine and with a grace- 

 ful upward curve alighted among the 

 branches on the opposite side. I was 

 now satisfied that the species was as I 

 had before placed it. Broad-winged 

 Hawk. 



The nest now held four eggs, a beau- 

 tiful set, in fact the prettiest Hawk's 

 eggs I have ever seen. They are white 

 with a bluish tinge, with small brown 

 spots all over them. Three are beauti- 

 fully splashed at the large end, while 

 the fourth is sparingly marked at the 

 smaller end with delicate brown or 

 light chocolate. The egg with the 

 markings on the smaller end was the 

 last laid, as the bluish color is perfect 

 while the others are bleached out in 

 various stages, which is often the case 

 with incubation from fresh to advanced. 



The nest was constructed of coarse 

 sticks, bark, etc., on top of which was 

 spread a quantity of fine ones and 

 stripes of bark. Diameter on top 20 

 inches which tapered down to a few 

 inches at the bottom according to the 

 crotch in all 15 inches deep with a de- 

 pression of two inches. Situated in the 

 main fork of an oak tree right next- to 

 the trunk and 31 feet from the ground. 



After making a small tour about the 

 grove I returned to this nest to find the 

 Hawks there, where with the best op- 

 portunity I fully identified the species 

 to my entire satisfaction. 



Edw. W. Springer, 

 Owatonna, Minn. 



