140 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 18-N0. 10 



The Marsh Hawk. 



The Marsh Hawk or Harrier( Circus Juid- 

 sotiitis) is one of our commonest Hawks. 

 It generally arrives in this locality about the 

 middle of March, and from that time till the 

 last of November can be seen sailing over 

 the prairies and fields in search of its prey. 

 Unlike most Hawks, it can be readily recog- 

 nized at a distance by means of the white 

 tail coverts. I shot my first specimen of 

 this species on April 9, 1892. It was hov- 

 ering around over a spot on the prairie, and 

 finally lit on the ground, and I shot it. On 

 going to retrieve the game I found it had in 

 its talons a large field mouse, variety {Arvi- 

 co/a ripariiis) ; the mouse was still alive, 

 but badly lacerated. The bird was a fine 

 male, of a bluish-gray color above and white 

 below, sparsely streaked with light reddish- 

 brown. It measured L. 19; \V. 14; T. 9. 

 The iris was a pale straw color. The male 

 of this species is about as beautiful a Hawk 

 as can be found. On June 4, 1892, while 

 wading through a small slough, I saw a Hawk 

 fly from a clump of grass and fly off over a 

 hill. I went over to the nest, which was in 

 the middle of the clump of grass and float- 

 ing in water about two feet deep. It was 

 about sixteen inches across, rose about three 

 inches above the water and was nice and dry 

 inside, neatly hollowed, and composed of 

 small sticks, rushes, reeds, small rose busli^ 

 slough grass, and lined with fine dry grass. 

 I left the nest to see what the Hawk would 

 do. She circled around quite a ways off, 

 seemingly unconcerned, and then came back 

 to the nest. I then returned, and gathered 

 in the five eggs, which were a dirty white 

 color, unmarked, with incubation advanced. 

 My next find of this species was May 73, 

 1893. While I was hunting, a Hawk flew 

 up from the ground in front of me. On in- 

 vestigation I found a nest containing three 

 beautiful fresh eggs. They were so different 

 from the Marsh Hawk's eggs I had found 

 before, that at first 1 thought they were of 



another species. The nest was on the ground, 

 about half way up on the north side of a high, 

 steep hill, composed of large weed stalks, 

 mostly placed on the lower side of the nest 

 to make up for the slant of the hill. It was 

 lined with fine dry grass. The ? bird was 

 soon joined by the $ , and flew screaming 

 around very high up in the air. 1 came 

 back to the nest about two hours afterward 

 to try and secure the ? bird. She left the 

 nest as before, and as she made a low swoop 

 my companion shot her. Took the eggs, 

 which were of a jiale bluish color, two of 

 them rather thickly blotched over the whole 

 surface with a very light brown with a lilac 

 tinge, looking like miniature eggs of the 

 Red-tailed Hawk ; while the third egg was 

 thickly spotted wfth many small and a few 

 large spots, all of a clear brown color. The 

 ? Hawk measured 21 inches in length, W. 

 '5/4 ; T. 1%. She was considerably larger 

 and more courageous, though not as beauti- 

 ful as the male bird. The back was brown, 

 without any bluish tinge, and with the 

 streaks underneath larger and darker. The 

 iris of this bird was brown. 



This occasion was the only time I ever 

 heard a bird of this species utter a sound. 



Rndolph M. Anderson. 



Forest City, Iowa. 



A Day's Shooting. 



One day in October a friend named (leorge 

 G. Dyer and myself started out to get some 

 sea birds to mount. We went down to the 

 dock and, hoisting the sail of my small boat, 

 we started off. We first went to the upper 

 part of the lake to see if there were any Ducks 

 feeding. While sailing along I saw a bunch 

 of Coots or White-wing Scoters come in from 

 sea and light. Pointing the boat's head in 

 their direction, I told my friend to ])ut some 

 heavy shot in his gun and I did the same. 

 I sailed the boat within 50 yards of them be- 

 fore they rose. 1 heard the report of my 

 friend's gun, but did not see what he killed. 

 As an old cock come my side of the boat niy 



