222 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



other very closely in general style. Five eggs taken from a 

 nest of sticks in a spruce tree in a small evergreen grove at 

 Stockton Springs, Maine, June 1, 1892, measure 1,43 x 1.21, 

 1.42 X 1.21, 1.46 X 1.22, 1.48 x 1.22, 1.4(i x 1.23. 



In early June if one on entering a thick evergreen woods 

 hears a "cac, cac, cac," much resembling the call of the Flicker 

 but distinct therefrom, then they may safely conclude that this 

 is the cry of the Sharp-shinned Hawk and that a nest is near 

 by. One or a pair of these birds will make quite a disturbance 

 when they discover an intruder on their nesting grounds, though 

 at times I have sometimes been unaware that a pair of these 

 birds were in the vicinity until on thumping a tree in which a 

 dilapidated Crow's nest was seen one of these Hawks would 

 leave the nest which it had appropriated and remade to answer 

 its purposes. 



Both birds take turns in incubating and after the young are 

 hatched have a hard time to keep the hungry mouths full. 



They are very bold and dashing and many of the depredations 

 on poultry which are wrongly attributed to others of the larger 

 Hawks are more properly the work of this species or its close 

 relative, Cooper's Hawk. The nest above described at Stockton 

 Springs was located on account of the repeated visits of a pair 

 of these birds to a poultry farm from which they were taking 

 away ten to twelve young chicks a day. After the nest was 

 located and both birds killed these depredations ceased, thus 

 placing the blame. 



The species in question prefers small birds and poultry to 

 almost any other food and will make the boldest and most dash- 

 ing forays to obtain what they desire. I have even known of 

 their dashing into a farm yard and taking off a nearly full grown 

 chicken from in front of the farmers' very face as the chickens 

 were being fed. They come like a bullet and before a person 

 is able to fully realize what has happened they are away with a 

 chick in their talons. In eating they seem rather particular, 

 holding the game in their talons and plucking away the 



