206 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



The winter record is of a bird seen by me at Ipswich, on January 

 2i6t, 1900. 



In the salt marshes and sand dunes, and in the open farm lands near the 

 sea, this is the most common Hawk. It is always a pleasure to watch its 

 graceful flight as the bird skims the ground, showing now its breast, now its 

 back with the snowy white rump. One is at a loss which to admire most, the 

 rich brown females and young, or the blue adult males. 



On June 26th, 1904, Mr. F. B. McKechnie and I found a Marsh Hawk's 

 nest at Ipswich containing five young. We were led to it by the actions of the 

 adult pair. The hissing whistle of the old bird was heard, and, looking up, we 

 saw the male with a mouse in his talons, while his mate was rapidly flying to 

 meet him. The mouse was soon transfened from one to the other, the birds 

 flying up into the air to meet each other. The female repaired to a nearby sand 

 dune where she sat for a minute and then flew with the mouse directly to 

 a bushy place back of the dunes, and disappeared, soon to reappear without the 

 mouse. Going directly to the spot, we easily found the nest in a tangle of wild 

 roses, baybeny and Spirea bushes. The bushes were all about but they did 

 not conceal the nest, which was a flat thin structure about two feet in diameter, 

 directly on the ground. It was composed partly of coarse grasses but chiefly of 

 sprigs of Hudsonia tomentosa, which grows so abundantly among the dunes. 



Sitting or standing on the nest were four young Hawks, while a fifth was 

 about a foot outside. They were fully two thirds grown and still covered with 

 the yellowish white natal down, with a varying amount of juvenal feathers, 

 especially on their backs and wings. A few scattered brown feathers were to 

 be seen on their breasts. One of the birds was considerably smaller than its 

 fellows and was clothed almost entirely in the natal down. With their white 

 heads and dark backs they looked like miniature Bald Eagles. 



On our near approach they assumed threatening attitudes, with open 

 hissing mouths and raised wings, looking us directly in the eyes. They even 

 struck at us with their talons. The nest and surroundings were clean with the 

 exception of one or two droppings and one pellet. There were, however, some 

 sinister-looking carrion beetles walking about among and even over the feet of 

 the young. The pellet consisted chieffy of mouse fur and contained portions of 

 several small beetles. 



During the half hour we spent in examining and photographing the young, 

 the adults were not to be seen, except when the female flew by twice within 

 about 200 yards, emitting on one occasion the usual hissing whistle, on the 

 other a sharp, but not loud, rapidly repeated kee kee kee. I have also heard 

 them call kek, kek, kek, something like a Flicker. 



Three weeks later near the same place, the female flew over my head, 



