MARSH HAWK— HARRIER— BLUE HAWK. 71 



contained three eggs, of similar color and proportions to those 

 first mentioned ; the bluish shade, however, was perhaps more 

 perceptible in the eggs of the second nest. I have never observed 

 or heard of a nest being placed in a bush off the ground in Canada, 

 but Richardson says in his Fauna Boreali Americana, " The natives 

 informed us that these birds build indifferendy on the ground or 

 in the low bushes." . My experience, however, of the tales told by 

 natives is anything but satisfactory ; and I know that in many 

 instances such informants delight to color their stories with some- 

 thing unusual, and to say the least, unlikely. It is also astonishing 

 what additional information may be gained by exhibiting a plug 

 of tobacco or a flask of spirits ; but information so incited is worse 

 than worthless. 



The usual complement of eggs in the nest of the Marsh 

 Hawk is from three to five, but more have occasionally been 

 found ; three is the average number of young hatched. When 

 a nest has been robbed the bird lays again once or twice, but if 

 further molested abandons it. Coues gives as the measure- 

 ment of a number of eggs the following — " 1.87 by 1.45 , 1.86 by 

 1.45; 1. 82 by 1.44; 1.80 by 1.45; 1.80 by 1.42; they were dull 

 and white, with the faintest possible greenish shade ; there were 

 no evident spots, but much mechanigal soiling." 



The Marsh Hawk reaches the fur countries towards the latter 

 end of April and leaves before the end of September. It winters 

 in the middle and eastern States. 



They are particularly abundant during the month of April in 

 the low lands around Lake St. Peter and in the vicinity of Sorel, 

 where they are often shot by duck hunters and brought into our 

 markets. The Rough-legged Buzzard frequents the same situa- 

 tions, and both birds are seen hunting together. 



Sr. Char. Ad:ilt. Entire upper parts, head and breast, pale bluish-cinereous, on the back 

 of head mixed with dark fulvous ; upper tail coverts white ; beneath white, with small cordate or 

 . hastate spots of light ferruginous ; quills brownish-black ; their outer webs tinged vrith ashy, and a 

 large portion of their inner webs white ; tail light cinereous, nearly white on the inner webs of the 

 feathers, and w ith obscure transverse bands of brown ; its under surface silky-white ; under wing 

 coverts white. 



