132 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. I S-No. 9 



tomically constructed for great rapidity and 



force of flight. 



For a full description of the nesting habits 

 of the Duck Hawk, the reader is referred to 

 an article bv the writer entitled " Taking the 

 Eggs of the Peregrine Falcon," in the Ooi,- 

 cxiisT for June, 1893. 



y. Hobart Egbert. 



Notes on the Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a resident with 

 us, but not at all common, especially during 

 the summer months. 



I have only succeeded in finding two nests 

 in a number of years' collecting. 



The first was found about May, 1878, in a 

 grove of small pines ; situated in one of them, 

 and about twenty feet from the ground. It 

 contained five eggs, which I secured. 



About two weeks later, in passing near the 

 nest, I decided to take another look at it. 



I did so, and also took a second set of 

 eggs from it. There were four in this clutch, 

 and they were smaller than the first ones and 

 not so finely marked. 



My second nest was found May 29, 1892, 

 and discovered to me by the actions of the 

 birds, as when I was about fifty yards from it 

 they both came flying about me and became 

 very noisy. 



This nest was also in a pine tree, close in 

 to the trunk and resting at the base of a limb. 



It was thirty-five feet up, and composed of 

 pine twigs, without lining of any kind. 



While I was at the nest both birds sat in 

 a tree about twenty feet distant and seemed 

 very much disturbed at my presence. Sev- 

 eral times they darted close to my head and 

 perched within a few feet of me, but at the 

 least movement would fly off a short distance. 



The eggs, which were very slightly incu- 

 bated, were five in number and are as follows, 

 the ground color in all being a grayish white : 



No. I. A little more pointed than any of 

 the others. Marked mostly about the centre 

 with a wreath of burnt umber and russet, the 



rest of the egg being covered with small light 

 brown spots: T.41 x 1.2 1. 



No. 2. Marked with a broad band of burnt 

 umber and russet in the centre, the rest of the 

 egg being covered with small light brown 

 specks : 1.4 1 X 1. 1 9. 



No. 3. About one-half marked with burnt 

 umber, forming a sort of cap to the egg, the 

 balance slightly marked with small spots of 

 light brown : 1.41 x 1.17. 



No. 4. Marked about the larger end with 

 burnt umber and russet, the rest of the egg 

 being covered with splashes and spots of 

 light brown : 1.40 x t.2i. 



No. 5. In this egg the ground color is a 

 clearer white than in any of the others. 

 Marked around the centre with a wreath or 

 band of russet and a little burnt umber. 

 This is the only egg in the set showing any 

 lilac, it having a few splashes of this color, 

 principally toward the larger end. It is by 

 far the most handsome egg in the clutch. 



In all of them the umber looks as if it had 

 been slightly washed in some places. 



Thinking I might take a second clutch 

 from this nest, as in the one previously found, 

 I went back to it about two weeks later, but 

 it was apparently deserted as there were no 

 birds to be seen. 



I also looked at it this last spring (1893), 

 but without success. 



Two other nests, of which I have record, 

 were found in pine trees, one in a cedar tree, 

 and one was in a hole formed by the rotting 

 of a limb of a chestnut tree. This latter was 

 occupied for two consecutive years and then 

 the tree was cut down. 



All of these nests were in Biiltimore 

 County, Maryland. 



Willi a III II. Fi slier. 



Baltimore, Md. 



E. W. Norcross, of Boston, while on his 

 vacation in Vermont, shot a beautiful white 

 Robin. It seemed to have been deserted 

 by its family and was flying about the fields 

 alone. Brcivster. 



