28 



THE OOLOGIST 



On June Hth the nest was again 

 visited and was found to contain a 

 breed of tlaree, about eight days old 

 and in perfect condition. The parents 

 remained in the close neighborhood 

 while I was near their offspring utter- 

 ing noisy cries of protest and oc- 

 casionally the male would sweep down 

 within a dozen feet of their home ap- 

 l)arently with the idea of frightening 

 me away. All about on the platform 

 of the nest and on the ground were 

 many fragments and bony masses of 

 catfish, pickerel and sunfish. 



This breed remained in the vicinity 

 throughout the summer and dis- 

 appeared about September 1st. 



This is the first nest of this species 

 at this point since the year of 1903, 

 when another pair located here and 

 reared a family of two. 



Louis S. Kohler. 

 Bloomf.eld, N. J. 



Some Experiences with the Red-Tailed 

 Hawk. 



The Red-tailed Hawk is the most 

 abundant species of Hawk found in 

 Scuth-weHtern Pa One who tramps 

 ever any of the ridges of hill in this 

 region will scarcely fail to notice ona 

 of the f ne birds sailing gracefully over 

 the felds or woods in seach of its 

 prey. Each fall and winter numbers 

 of these beautiful birds are slain by 

 hunters and farn:ers who believe that 

 any member of the Hawk family is 

 their enemy. 



The Red-tailed Hawk may be found 

 nesting in most any of the woods that 

 contain trees suitable for the purpose. 

 Generally, I believe, these Hawks se- 

 lect the larger white oaks that stand 

 in deep wooded hollows, — at least that 

 is where I have found a number of 

 them nesting. Another situation after 

 chosen, is a steep wooded bank above 

 some creek or river. 



During my boyhood days I frequent- 



ly accompanied a local ornithlogist on 

 his long tramps in search of nests of 

 the Red-tailed Hawk. Many times I 

 saw these graceful birds swoop from 

 their nests with a shrill scream. Then, 

 I also saw a number of beautiful sets 

 of Hawks eggs which this man brought 

 down from the oak-tops. Such experi- 

 ences caused me to become greatly in- 

 terested in these Hawks so that as T 

 grew older, each spring found me 

 tramping through the woods in search 

 of new nests. Quite a number of 

 times I found occupied nests, high up 

 in great oaks; but to climb those trees 

 and procure the eggs was a task be- 

 yond my ability. At times I ascended 

 part way u\) the trees, but then a shak- 

 ing knee and a look downward were 

 sufficient, — Hawk's eggs were certain- 

 ly not worth their pains! 



When March of 1907 arrived the 

 usual "Hawk fever" attacked me and 

 sent me in search of nests. Several 

 I found up perhaps eighty-five or nine- 

 ty feet — and the trees! mercy! But 

 finally I did locate an accessable nest. 

 I cculd see it frcm a distance of half 

 a mile down the valley, and sailing 

 above it was the male Hawk. As I 

 came near the place, a small clump of 

 oakf, chestnuts and hickories, I found 

 that this nest was in the dead top of a 

 large chestnut tree which leaned 

 over the deep ravine. The nest was 

 up sixty-five feet, above the base of 

 the tree. A hard rap with the climb- 

 ing irons caused the setting bird to 

 swcop from the nest and join her mate 

 in a tall hickory nearby. As I ascend- 

 ed the tree both birds circled over the 

 ravine and screamed frequently. When 

 I reached a point some ten feet from 

 the nest I found that the trunk of the 

 tree was dead the rest of the way up. 

 1 summoned my "reserve force" and 

 crept up, the remaining ten feet ex- 

 pecting to hear a crash and feel my- 

 self passing downward through the at- 



