FALCONID^ — THE FALCONS. 229 



five eggs, found by Dr. H. E. Storer in Concord, Mass., there was a single 

 egg which nearly corresponds with this description. It is, however, the only 

 one among many specimens that at all agrees with it. This specimen is a 

 little more than usually elongate, and its ground-color, which is a purplish- 

 white, is nearly concealed by its blotches of various shades of sepia-brown. 

 In every other instance the egg is very nearly spherical, the ground-color 

 white, and beautifully marked with large confluent blotches of sepia, vary- 

 ing in depth from quite a light to a very dark shade. In one, these conflu- 

 ent markings form a broad belt around the centre of the efiji. In others, 

 they are chiefly distributed about the larger end. The contrast between the 

 white ground and the dark confluent dashes of brown is very striking. 

 Except in size, the eggs of this bird bear a marked resemblance to those of 

 the Sparrow Hawk of Europe. In a few instances, the brown markings 

 have an intermixture of red and purple. The egg measures 1.35 by 1.15 

 inches. 



In nearly every instance the nest of this Hawk has been constructed in 

 trees. It is usually large in proportion to the size of the bird, and its mate- 

 rials are somewhat elaborately put together ; it is composed chiefly of large 

 sticks and twigs, and the whole platform is covered with a thin lining of 

 dry leaves, mosses, grass, etc. Mr. John Krider, of Philadelphia, found a 

 nest in New Jersey, in the vicinity of that city, which was 1)uilt on the 

 edge of a high rock. 



Mr. Robert Kennicott met with the nest of this species at Fort Resolu- 

 tion. It was composed entirely of small dry spruce twigs, with the excep- 

 tion of a half-dozen small flat bits of the scaly outer bark of the spruce, 

 laid in the bottom, and forming a sort of lining. No feathers or other softer 

 materials Avere used. The nest was shallow and broad. The base was about 

 eiohteen inches in diameter, and was about eiglit feet from the ground. It 

 was in a small spruce in a thick wood and on high ground. When dis- 

 turbed, the female flew off a short distance ; but on Mr. Kennicott's hiding 

 himself returned and flew near the nest, continually uttering a harsh rapid 

 note. Near the nest were marks indicating the place where the male passed 

 the nights perched on a dry stick near the ground. 



Mr. B. R. Ross observed these birds nesting tliickly along the cliffs of the 

 Upper Slave River. They were more rare northward of Fort Simpson than 

 F. columharius. 



Mr. AYilliam Street, of Easthampton, informs me that he has found this 

 Hawk nesting on Mount Tom, where he has known of six of their nests in 

 one season. In the spring of 1872 he found three nests, on the 24th and 

 25th of May. They contained two eggs each. One of these, on the 27th 

 contained three eggs, of which he took one ; on the 3d of June two more 

 eggs had been laid. Two of these were taken, after which the birds deserted 

 the nest and resorted to an old squirrel's nest, where they had four more 

 eggs, depositing one every third day. They arrive at JNIount Tom about the 



