BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 



207 



and whistled as she approached the nesting site. Upon this, four full grown 

 young Hawks flew up to meet her and she dropped from her talons a mouse, 

 which after falling about five feet was skillfully caught in the air by one of the 

 youngsters. How it was done, whether in the bill or in the talons, I could not 

 make out in the confusion. It certainly did not get by the birds, who at once 

 retired to the ground, the successful one to eat its prize. Although the Marsh 

 Hawk rarely alights in a tree, usually preferring the ground, I once saw one on 

 the top of a small cedar perhaps eight feet tall. 



Although these birds are of great benefit to the farmer in killing many mice, 

 there is no doubt but that they occasionally purloin a bird or two. One shot by 

 Mr. Dodge contained the remains of a Flicker and Mr. C. W. Loud shot a fine 

 blue male that was about to descend on one of his sandpiper decoys back 

 of Ipswich Beach. Examining the neighborhood of the nest above referred to, 

 on July 24th, I found three pellets containing mouse fur and bones, and three 

 consisting of feathers and birds' bones. There were also some long bones of a 

 good-sized bird, and a breast-bone of a smaller bird near the nest. 



142 [332] Accipiter velox (Wils.). 

 Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



Common transient visitor, rare summer resident, very rare in winter ; 

 March 10 to November 9 (December 7, January 5). 



Eggs : May 27 to June 10. 



Mr. J. A. Farley tells me that previous to 1894 he considered the Sharp- 

 shinned Hawk a common summer resident, for he used to find several nests 

 every season. Since then its numbers in summer have much decreased. The 

 stomach of one of the specimens of this Hawk in my collection, contained a 

 Song Sparrow ; the stomach of another contained two Warblers and a Sparrow ; 

 and that of a third contained a Warbler. 



143 [333] Accipiter cooperii (Bonap.). 

 Cooper's Hawk. 



Permanent resident, common in summer, very rare in winter ; April 24 to 

 October 7 (January, February 10). 



