182 



THE OOLOGIST 



During our stop this 5^ear at the last 

 named island we took some half a doz- 

 en sets the first wenk in March. 



The eggs are usually quite accessible; 

 they are placed either on a small shelf 

 of rock or often in a hole or small cave 

 These holes are natural cavities in the 

 face of some wall or rock not over ten 

 or twenty feet high. Eggs are some 

 times deposited at the summit of a 

 small hill without shelter; we fouad 

 two, three or four eggs to a set. 



The nest is easily located with the 

 help the owners. Take a walk over 

 the island and you will see the bird fly- 

 ing over the nesting site or hear its pe- 

 culiar warning cry as you get too near. 

 As you come near the nest the female 

 especially becomes more excited; from 

 seeing you she becomes convinced that 

 you are dangerous. Soon she becomes 

 aggressive and dashes at your head 

 from far above descending like a bullet. 

 The cry of this hawk is a short syllable 

 utteied many times in quick succession. 



It takes a heavy load to bring them 

 down as they are as tough as iron and 

 full of life. There is no waste meat on 

 them, the muscles are packed and 

 jambed together. The skin is tough 

 and sticks to the tiesh like a porous 

 plaster. If the Tern be like a graceful 

 sloop, we may call the Duck Hawk a 

 torpedo boat. 



In 1897 Mr. Henry Kaeding took four 

 young from Natividad intending to 

 rear them on our schooner. Two died 

 within a week. The half-tone shows 

 the other two, one of these died on the 

 voyage and the last escaped in San Di- 

 ego Bay after traveling with us four 

 months. 



These birds are fearless and ready to 

 attack anything. One stood off a Setter 

 dog and at another time was about to 

 make meat of a live albatross which we 

 had on deck. In captivity they were 

 fed on birds we had skinned, the softer 

 parts being prefered. On the islands 



Cassin's Anklets, Xantns's Murrelets, 

 and Shearwater.^ are eaten 



Wishing to see a thing more clearly 

 our hawk mov(\i his head backward 

 and forward <«r from side to side, a 

 trick similar to that nf the Barred Owl 

 described by Frank Bolles. 



Wishing to see a bird overhead, the 

 head is revolved so as to Ve nenrly up 

 side down. 



The picture is not sn large as' I could 

 wii-h but it serves to show the deep eye, 

 the set of wing, long toes, curved claws 

 and compact body. 



Richard C. McGregor 



Real Estate Owners 



Have any of my readers ever heard 

 of extensive owners of real estate 

 among the birds? Well, there are such 

 real estate owners among our feathered 

 friends, that is if you will allow that 

 houses come under the head of reality. 

 Among humans, land and buildings are 

 called real estate, and therefore we may 

 say that the homes of birds are fairly 

 entitled to this distinction, for though 

 the birds do not pay taxes, and as a 

 rule occupy territory that is the proper- 

 ty of others, still they are good citizens 

 and do their full share in the develop- 

 ment of the country, and assist in the 

 war of extermination which is constant- 

 ly waged upon insects and other pests. 

 Their pleasing presence and delightful 

 songs, in addition to the worthy work 

 in which they are constantly engaged 

 entitles them to the best building lots 

 in the land, and we shonld all offer 

 them the most thorough protection 

 which is within our power. 



Most species of birds build a single 

 nest for a season in which to rear their 

 young, while many kinds do not make 

 any nest, laying their eggs on the bare 

 ground; and still another division use 

 the discarded homes of other birds for 

 the purposes of housekeeping. In dis- 

 tinction to this class there is the divis- 



