Notes on the Birds. 339 
was about 50 feet up in a beech tree. These eggs measured in inches: 1.82x 
1.48 ; 1.76x1.36 ; 1.82x1.43 ; 1.82x1.43 ; 1.83x1.48. 
In Monroe County, this hawk did not appear to be common, but it was 
doubtless a summer resident. 
78. BUTEO BOREALIS BOREALIS (Gmelin). RED-TAILED HAWK. (337) 
In my boyhood days on the farm just south of Burlington, one of the 
most interesting sights to be observed in spring, summer, and early fall was 
that of hawks sailing high in air. On our farm, or those adjacent, were 
usually several pairs. While most of them were Red-tails, some were 
doubtless the Red-shouldered Hawk. Their nests were in the tops of the 
tallest oaks, or occasionally in a beech, elm, tulip, or sycamore. On quiet, 
warm days, particularly in spring, a harsh piercing scream would be heard 
overhead, and, on looking up, sometimes one, but usually two, of these 
great birds would be seen sailing high in the air or chasing each other, 
the while rising higher and higher in more or less spiral curves and utter- 
ing their shrill ery. This cry would usually be uttered as one of the pair 
passed the other. Sometimes one, having risen some distance above the 
other, would swoop down upon it with a scream that could be heard a long 
ways; one of the interesting characteristics of these hawks is the wonderful 
carrying power of their cry. Sometimes the birds would continue circling 
higher and higher, first one above, then the other, until they could be seen 
only with difficulty, but the screaming could be distinctly heard, however 
high the birds might be. Sometimes, after attaining a considerable height, 
they would cease screaming and simply soar. After reaching a great height 
they would suddenly descend with partly-closed wings like an arrow to 
the top of the forest in which their nest might be found. Sometimes they 
would again ascend; frequently they would alight in one of the tallest 
trees. My recollection is that these flights were most frequent on quiet 
afternoons, but they might occur at any time, especially between eight and 
nine o’clock in the morning and four and five o’clock in the afternoon. 
While these flights were most frequent in the spring (probably during the 
nesting season), they might occur at any time from early in the spring 
until late in the fall. 
Another common and familiar sight was that of one of these hawks sit- 
ting quietly on a dead limb of some old tree at the edge of a field or on a 
fence stake, waiting for some field mouse, rabbit or other small mammal] 
which it might capture. The length of time a hawk would thus remain on 
watch is remarkable. I have no definite notes on the matter but I believe 
it within the truth to say that it was often more than an hour. 
The Red-tail Hawk is still common in each of the three counties with 
which this paper is concerned. Records from Carroll County are: December 
31, 1878, one found dead near Burlington; March 1, 1879, one seen; March 5, 
two seen. April 15, 1883, nest with three young about four days old, in top 
of a large white oak a short distance southwest of my father’s house. 
Quite common in the winter of 1883-4; January 28 and 31, and February 19, 
1884; and February 20 and March 12 to 14, 1885. I have seen young in 
the nest, April 15, 1885. 
