306 
many feathers having oblong and lanceolate longitudinal stripes and spots 
of brown; a stripe of brown on each side of the neck from the base of the 
under mandible; tail brown, with several bands of a darker shade of the 
same, and of white on the inner webs of the feathers and narrowly tipped 
with white. . 
DimEnsions.—Female—total length, 17 to 18 inches; wing, 11; tail, 64 
to 7 inches. Male—smaller.” 
Ill. Burro LINEATUS—G@melin—THE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 
Wilson’s Am. Orn., VI. pl. 58, fig. 3; Audubon’s B. of Am., oct. ed., 
Is ple. 
The Red-Shouldered Hawk is a permanent resident of our State, and is 
found more frequently than its Red-Tailed relative. Its range is a wide 
one, being from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. The young was con- 
sidered as a distinct species, under the name of Winter Falecon—Valco hye- 
malis. Audubon and Wilson considered them quite distinct; but Cassin 
says that they are identical. 
This species pair for life, and select the same locality in which to build 
their nest. Audubon states that he has caused the tree on which the nest 
of a pair of these birds was built, to be cut down, and in a short time a 
new nest was begun within a short distance. They are decidedly arborial 
in their habits, and prefer a life in the woods to one in the clearings. 
Their prey consists of squirrels, and other small quadrupeds, occasionally 
a young rabbit. They also kill wild pigeons, blackbirds, and small birds, and 
are not so apt to visit the poultry-yard as the red-tailed species. The young, 
as I’, hyematlis, are described as feeding voraciously on frogs. Wilson says 
that he has taken the fragments and whole carcasses of ten frogs from the 
stomach of a single individual. 
The Red-shouldered Hawk is very noisy in the early part of the season, 
and its note is easily recognized. The nest is about the size of that of the 
crow, and is built near the top of some tall tree. The eggs are grayish- 
white, with dark-brown blotches. The young are fed by the parent, after 
they are capable of flight; but as soon as they are able to shift for them- 
selves, the young separate, and remain apart until the pairing season. 
This species is nearly as long as the red-tailed, but is not as heavy ; its legs 
are also more slender. The wings are shorter than those of the other spe- 
cies of the genus, and Sir Wm. Jardine considers it the joining link be- 
tween Buteo, Astur, and Circus, partaking of the character of all these 
