246 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



The eggs are said by Major Bendire to be three to five in 

 number, short ovate to rounded ovate and elliptical ovate in 

 shape, the ground color pale creamy white when visible, but 

 usually hidden by the reddish brown suffusions and blotches 

 and markings of burnt umber, brown, rufous, etc. The eggs 

 are said to measure about 1.48 x 1.22. 



The birds are tame and rather bold. They frequent rather 

 open woods, both hardwood growth and spruce woods of the 

 northern sections during the breeding season, but in fall are 

 found more along the roadsides, in woods at the borders of 

 fields and similarly. 



During the migration I have sometimes seen flocks of 

 one to two hundred migrating, seemingly following the line of 

 a railroad or a highway, and I have also observed the same 

 characteristic in the case of the Sharp-shinned Hawk. When 

 so migrating the birds were in a loosely scattered band, some 

 alighting others flying beyond and alighting, and the rear ones 

 likewise flying ahead to alight again. At other times I have 

 observed them well up, flying in a straggling band without 

 alighting. They feed on small birds, seemingly by preference, 

 though occasionally they also take squirrels, mice and even 

 small chickens. 



Subgenus TINNUNCULUS Vieillot. 



360. Falco sparverius Linn. American Sparrow Hawk; 

 Killy Hawk. 



Plumage of adult male ; head slaty blue with a rusty spot near the center 

 of the crown ; black marks in the region of the ear coverts ; primaries white 

 barred ; wing coverts slaty blue ; back and tail rufous, the former black bar- 

 red and the latter black banded near end and white tipped ; ochraceous buff 

 below, spotted with black on belly and sides. Plumage of adult female : the 

 wing coverts are rufous, barred with black ; the under parts somewhat 

 streaked with dark ochraceous ; otherwise similar to male. Immature plum- 

 age : softer, less brilliant and more blended than that of the adults to which 

 it otherwise very closely corresponds. Wing of male 6.50 to 8.00 ; wing of 

 female 7.00 to 8.00 ; tarsus 1.40. 



