THE OOLOGIST. 



63 



with such force as to open the l)ack of 

 my left hand, and leaving a scar when 

 it healed, about two inches long, which 

 I have to this day. 



I took out my handkerchief, and after 

 throwing it over the hawk's head so 

 that he could not see, I put one hand 

 around his legs and the other around 

 his throat, and iu about half of an hour 

 he had a new home in the shape of an 

 unused pigeon loft. 



The Cooper's Hawk feeds upon mice, 

 rats, etc , with now and then a bird for 

 a change. I have seen Cooper Hawks 

 attempt to catch quail and i-abbits, but 

 they invariably lose them by their in- 

 tended prey taking refuge under brush- 

 wood. I have no doul>t, however, that 

 quail are caught sometimes when the 

 hawk is hard pressed by hunger. 



The Cooper's Hawk generally laj'S four 

 or five pale blue, unblutched eggs; but I 

 have a set of six in my collection which 

 are all blotched more or less with bi-ick- 

 red colorings, two of the set being very 

 handsome eggs, the colorings being so 

 dark and clear. The hawk is very shy 

 and is never seen close to his nest until 

 after the eggs are hatched. 



If a person attempts to rob a nest of 

 its young, then the hawk will circle just 

 above his head and utter whistles or 

 screams in high notes, and try to draw 

 away the thief's attention from the ob- 

 ject in quest. 



Edwaud Fl'lleu, 

 Norwich, Conn. 



Some Early Winter Bird3 of Linn Co-, Oregon. 



List of birds observed at Sweet Home, 

 Ore. during Oct., Nov. and Dec, 1800 

 and Jan, 1891. A. O. U. Nos. 



40a Pacific Kittiwake Gull, lii.'^m tri- 

 (lacfyln jw/iirriris. Onespecimen secured 

 on Dec. 16, '90. Very uncommon in 

 this locality. This bird was found dead 

 near the Santiam River. 



132 Mallard, Anas hosrlms. Occa- 

 sionally seen in Hocks of six or seven. 



174 Black Hrant, Branla nigricans. 



One specimen shot on Dec. 4, '90, but 

 many seen Hying over during migrat- 

 ing season, usually in Oct. and Nov. 



194 Great Blue Heron, Ardea hero- 

 dias. Quite common and seen along 

 the rivers and large. creeks. It breeds 

 in this vicinity, a pair being located 

 about every half mile along the wooded 

 districts, building their nest in the high 

 firs. 



230 Wilson's Sm\w,GaUinago delicata. 

 Seen in Jan. in Hocks of five to twenty, 

 in low marshy ground. Occasionally a 

 single bird is only found. They are not 

 generally found iu the same feeding 

 grounds on two consecutive days, but 

 on the third will probably be seen there 

 again. It is a bii'd swift of flight and 

 hard to shoot. 



297a Sooty Grouse, Dcndragapus ob- 

 scuriiHj'idiyinosus. Seen last in Oct.. 

 when they ascend far ba(;k and high uj) 

 in the mouutains, returning in April or 

 May, when we are first aware of their 

 presence by the hooting of the males, 

 high up in the fir trees. 



300c Oregon Rufted Grouse, Bonasa 

 umbc/his sabini. Very common and a 

 favorite game bird. 



325 Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura. 

 Two birds seen Dec. 20, "90, not com- 

 mon during winter. 



360 Am. Sparrow Hawk, Falco Spar- 

 vcrius. Seen occasionally sitting on 

 some fence in watch for field mice etc. 



375a Western Horned Owl, Bubo vir- 

 ginianus snbardiciis. Very abundant 

 and seen the entire winter except at 

 present date, when they have receded 

 to some dense firs to breed. 



3'JO Belted Kingfisher, Ccryle alcyon. 

 Quite common a'ong rivers and small 

 streams. 



292 Mountain Quail, Oreorty pieties. 

 Very common and may be seen in flocks 

 of live to twenty in their favorite feed- 

 ing grounds whii!h is generally near 

 some small stream, picferabk! covered 

 with dense underbrush, but sometimes 

 scon in the open fields and if in severe 



