228 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



whitish, streaked and spotted with blackish. Wing of male 11.00 to 13.00 ; 

 wing of female 13.00 to 14.00 ; tarsus 3.15. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, west to the plains and Texas, south 

 to Florida and the Gulf States, north to Manitoba and Nova Scotia; winter- 

 ing from Massachusetts southward. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; common summer resident, (Johnson). 

 Aroostook; general summer resident, not rare, (Knight). Cumberland; 

 common summer resident, (Mead). Franklin; common summer resident, 

 (Swain). Hancock; not rare summer resident, (Knight). Kennebec; 

 common, (Powers). Knox; migrant, (Rackliff). Oxford; breeds rarely, 

 (Nash). Penobscot; not rare summer resident, (Knight). Piscataquis; 

 rare, (Homer). Sagadahoc; common migrant, spring and fall, (Spinney). 

 Somerset; common summer resident, (Morrell). Waldo; local summer resi- 

 dent, (Knight). Washington ; not uncommon summer resident, (Boardman). 

 York; breeds, (Adams). 



The Red-shoulder is the most generally seen of our larger 

 Hawks, exclusive of the Osprey which is of course more local. 

 In common with the Red-tail it shares the name of Chicken 

 Hawk and Hen Hawk which name is also applied very indis- 

 criminately to other species of Hawks also. They have been 

 found in the State from late March to late October, but there 

 seem to be no records of their wintering though they might 

 be expected to remain through the winter in southern Maine 

 at least. They like to frequent rather open hard wood growth 

 either in some swampy place along a stream or pond or in 

 highland woods near fields and clearings. 



The bulky nest of sticks and twigs, is usually placed on the 

 limbs of hardwood trees at heights of twenty to seventy feet, 

 and sometimes also in hemlock or spruces or even pines. The 

 nest is usually placed on a limb or limbs and against the 

 trunk, or sometimes out on the branches. Some nests are 

 lined with hemlock or cedar bark while many contain the half 

 opened catkins of willows and poplar, and often fresh green 

 leaves of poplar or birch. The same nest is often used for 

 many successive seasons. 



Two to even six eggs are laid but the majority of our 

 Maine nests contain only two or three, and these are laid in 

 late April or early May. Three eggs from Pittsfield, taken by 

 Mr. Morrell, were in a nest situated in a yellow birch tree 



