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38 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
excepting when it is describing the circles just mentioned, when it 
often dives and gambols. It is a more general inhabitant of the 
woods than most of our other species, particularly during the sum- 
mer, and in autumn and winter; now and then only, in early spring, 
showing itself in the open grounds, and about the vicinity of small 
lakes, for the purpose of securing red-winged starlings and wounded 
ducks. 
“'The interior of woods seems, as I have said, the fittest haunts 
for the Red-shouldered Hawk. He sails through them a few yards 
above the ground, and suddenly alights on the low branch of a 
tree or the top of a dead stump, from which he silently watches, 
in an erect posture, for the appearance of squirrels, upon which 
he pounces directly, and kills in an instant, afterwards devour- 
ing them on the ground. If accidentally discovered, he essays to 
remove the squirrel; but, finding this difficult, he drags it, partly 
through the air and partly along the ground, to some short distance, 
until he conceives himself out of sight of the intruder, when he 
again commences feeding. The eating of a whole squirrel, which 
this bird often devours at one meal, so gorges it, that I have seen 
it in this state almost unable to fly, and with such an extraordinary 
protuberance on its breast as seemed very unnatural, and very 
injurious to the beauty of form which the bird usually displays. 
On all occasions such as I have described, when the bird is so 
gorged, it is approached with the greatest ease. -On the contrary, 
when it is in want of food, it requires the greatest caution to get 
within shooting distance of it. 
“ At the approach of spring, this species begins to pair; and its 
flight is accompanied with many circlings and zigzag motions,” 
during which it emits its shrill cries. The male is particularly 
noisy at this time. He gives chase to all other hawks, returns to 
the branch on which his mate has chanced to perch, and caresses 
her. This happens about the beginning of March.’ The spot 
adapted for a nest is already fixed upon, and the fabric is half 
finished. The top of a tall tree appears to be preferred by this 
hawk, as I have found its nest moré commonly placed there, not 
far from the edges of woods bordering plantations. 
“When one ascends to the nest (which, by the way, is not 
1 May in New England. 
