RED-TAILED BUZZARD— HEN HAWK. 47 



pose of more completely " scanning a region " or merel)" a little 

 gambol indulged in during the pairing season it is hard to deter- 

 mine, but I am inclined to set it down to the latter. The same 

 trait in the flight of these birds has been observed and recorded 

 by Dr. W. W. Wood of Massachusetts. He says, " Occasionally 

 several of them will be seen very high in the air, sailing about in 

 circles, sometimes rising in spiral turns, and descending rapidlj^ 

 uttering a clear shrill cry of Kac, kae, kae several times, and often 

 continuing it some minutes. These gyrations occur more com- 

 monly in the spring ; perhaps it is a nuptial ceremony or a bridal 

 pilgrimage." 



The adult Red-tail, as the name implies, has a decided red 

 tail, but only so on its upper surface. It is not, however, until 

 full grown, and some, time after, that this color appears. In the 

 fully adult bird the under parts are also fulvous ; but this tint does 

 not appear so early as the color on the tail — generally long after. 

 Hence it is not surprising to hear it remarked by some of our 

 hunters that there are different kinds of Red-tails ; and our amateur 

 collectors are sorely puzzled. Out of some thirty specimens of 

 this species procured by us on our expeditions in Ontario between 

 the years 1866 and 1876, five only have the decided red-tail, and 

 two the fulvous coloring of the under parts ; the remainder exhibit 

 innumerable varieties. A few additional specimens procured in 

 one or other of our markets at Montreal, for the most part during 

 the months of April and May of the last five years, were likewise, 

 with but one e.xception, immature individuals ; this one, however, 

 being the largest and most perfectly colored bird it has been my 

 fortune to procure. It measured when in the flesh upwards of 

 25 inches in length, and the stretch of its wings was close upon 

 53 inches. Unfortunately the bill of this specimen was almost 

 entirely destroyed b)' the shot, and its head otherwise sadly in- 

 jured. One of the young birds obtained in the market was alive, 

 having been only slightly winged, and was kept so and cared for 

 by a friend of mine for the greater part of a summer. This bird 

 was particularly interesting, from the fact that its irides were per- 

 fectly ivhitc, and not as usual hazel or light brownish. This is 



