198 



FALCONS, HAWKS, EAGLES, ETC. 



white patch on its rump. Quartering the country with slow, vacillating 

 flight, it usually captures its living prey by surprising it away from 

 its retreats. 



The Harrier is a low-perching Hawk, and most frequently will 

 be seen alighting on a slight elevation or in the grass. During the 

 nesting season the male may be seen endeavoring to win the admira- 

 tion of the principal spectator by performing a number of extraor- 

 dinary aerial evolutions. Sometimes he soars to a great height, 

 then falls straight downward nearly to the ground, turning several 

 somersaults during the descent, and uttering at the same time a re- 

 iterated screeching. At other times he flies across the marsh in a 

 course which would outline a gigantic saw, each of the descending 

 parts being done in a somersault and accompanied by the screeching 

 notes, which form the only love song within the range of his limited 

 vocal powers.— EknkstE. Thompson. 



" Of 124 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry, or game birds ; 

 34, other birds; 57, mice; 23, other mammals; 7, reptiles; 2, frogs; 

 14, insects ; 1, indeterminate matter, and 8 were empty " (Fisher). 



^^'332. Accipiter velox ( TT7?s.)- Sfiarp-shinned Hawk. Ad. — Upper 

 parts slaty gray, primaries barred with blackish; tail nearly square, ashy 



gray, with blackish cross-bars and a whit- 

 ish tip ; tliroat white, streaked with black- 

 ish ; rest of under parts barred with white 

 and ochraceous-buff or pale rufous. Im. — 

 Upper parts fuscous, margined with rufous ; 

 primaries and tail much as in the ad. ; un- 

 der parts white or buflfy white, streaked or 

 spotted with blackish or pale rufous-brown. 

 S L., 11-25; W., 6-60; T., 5-50; B. from N., 

 •40. 9 L., 13-50 ; W., 8-00 ; T., 7-00. 



Remarhs. — This species very closely re- 

 sembles Cooper's Hawk. In adult plumage 

 the black cap characterizes that species, but 

 immature birds may be distinguished only 

 by size and the difference in the shape of 

 the tail, which in velox is nearly square, and in cooperi decidedly rounded. 



Range. — Breeds throughout the United States, and winters from Massa- 

 chusetts to Central America. 



Washington, common P. R. Sing Sing, common P. K. Cambridge, com- 

 mon T. v., Apl. 15 to Apl. 30 ; Sept. and Oct. ; rare S. R., uncommon W. V. 



Nest, in trees, fifteen to forty feet from the ground. Eggs, three to six, 

 varying from bluish wliite to pale cream-buff, distinctly spotted, heavily 

 blotched, or even washed with chocolate or cinnamon-rufous, 1-55 x 1-20. 



The generally misapplied names "Hen Hawk" and "Chicken 

 Hawk " should be restricted to the birds of this genus, for they de- 



FiG. 67.— Square tail of Sharp 

 shinned Hawk. 



