THE MUSEUM. 



20I 



Nesting of the Red-tailed Hawk- 

 Many of our birds have been well 

 represented in the pages of the Muse- 

 um, but as yet I have searched its col- 

 umns nearly in vain for observations 

 on the Red-tailed Hawk {Btitco borea- 

 lis.) This is a common species to be 

 sure, but many of our common birds 

 are quite as interesting as the rare 

 ones. 



Timbered bottom-lands or wooded 

 hill-sides near a stream, are the nest- 

 ing places of the Red-tail. For the 

 birds have discoved that a diet of frogs 

 and mice is excellent for the growth 

 and development of young Buteos, and 

 their nests are usually placed where 

 there is an abundance of these crea- 

 tures to be found. 



A large bulky nest of sticks is con- 

 structed in a crotch of some large tree. 

 Every nest of this species, that I have 

 examined, was lined with inner bark, 

 and with one exception contained corn 

 husks. A little grass or moss and a 

 few feathers usually help to make up 

 the lining. 



Of nine nests, three were in bass- 

 wood trees, two in oaks, two in elms 

 and two in maples; the lowest was 

 forty and the highest ninety feet from 

 the ground. 



The eggs are usually deposited dur- 

 ing the first week of April, though, if 

 the season be early, fresh eggs may be 

 found in March. 



This hawk will make use of the same 

 nest year after year, adding another 

 layer of sticks each time. 



I know of two instances where the 

 trees have been of such size as to baffle 

 all attempts of oologists to reach the 

 eggs. One of these, a huge elm has 

 been the nesting site of a pair of Red- 

 tails for six years, to my knowledge. 



and I think for some years longer. 

 They may continue to rear their young 

 in safety, if some enterprising oologist 

 does not introduce the use of ikying 

 machines in collecting eggs. 



On the afternoon of April 25, 1891, 

 while out collecting eggs with my 

 brother, we were pleased to see a Red- 

 tailed hawk sail off from a nest, sixty 

 feet up in an oak. 



My companion ascended the tree 

 while the birds attempted to frighten 

 him away. I have never seen Hawks 

 so bold as this pair were. They would 

 repeatedly swoop down, uttering harsh 

 screams until within a few feet of him, 

 when they would swerve to one side 

 and pass by, to again renew the attack. 



On reaching the nest, he found one 

 egg, two young hawks, and three field 

 mice. 



The little hawks were queer looking 

 objects, covered with white down. 

 They were about a day old. 



The egg was infertile; it measured 

 2.45 by 1.70 inches. 



A few days later I obtained three 

 young ones, which showed a regular 

 graduation in size. I attempted to raise 

 them and the task was not a light one 

 for their appetites and capacity for food 

 were unlimited. 



Contrary to the adage that "Little 

 birds in their nests agree, " they divided 

 their time about equally between fight- 

 ing and crying for food. 



One day two of them were found 

 calmly feasting on the remains of the 

 smallest one. One of these met a like 

 fate the next day. 



It is not surprising that the remain- 

 ing little cannibal came to a bad end 

 before he was a week older. 



On April 14, 1894, a neighbor 

 brought me a male Red-tailed Hawk 



