92 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



breeds reguhiily from Colorado, Kansas, and ]N"ebraska noil li ward; 

 south of this region there seems to be no positive record of its nesting. 



The food of this Hawk consists almost exchisively of small mammals 

 and reptiles, and, like the Eongh-leg, never attacks birds. Dr. J. G. 

 Cooper, as quoted in History of North American Birds (vol. iii, p. 303), 

 says: "It rarely, if ever, attacks poultry, and limits its prey to wild 

 animals, and is therefore a decided friend to the farmer.'' 



jMr. H. W. Henshaw says of its food: "Their prey consists princi 

 pally of the small mammals — mice and ground squirrels — to secure 

 which they tiy a few feet from the ground." (Explor. West of the 

 100th .Merid., Wheeler, vol. v, 1875, p. 425.) 



Dr. Cones gives the following: " In the stomachs of those examined 

 I found the remains of burrowing pouched rats {Thomomys fulvus, 

 Woodh.), the western Avood mouse {Hes2)er<n}iys leucopus var. soxoHotsis), 

 kangaroo-mice {Dipodomys ordii), and some Arricolcv I could not iden- 

 tify. I was never before aware of the latter in this locality [Ft. Whipide, 

 Ariz.], and would remark, in passing, how often small mammals, rep- 

 tiles, and insects, which might long remain undetected, owing to their 

 rarity or insignificance, are found in the stomachs of rapacious birds. 

 * * * This bird is known as the ' California Squirrel Hawk' in some 

 localities, but it is not to be inferred that they often capture the agile 

 arboreal k^ciuri. The name is gained from their feeding extensively, in 

 California, upon the 'ground squirrels' {82)eymophUus heechei/i), which 

 abound in many ])arts of that State. The Hawks are almost always, 

 too, observed in the vicinity of the settlements of the HixiermopMli., 

 standing on the ground where there are no trees, or iiying low over the 

 surface, in either 'fcase on the alert to seize any unlucky animal that 

 may venture too far from home." (Birds of the Xorthwest, 1874, p. 366.) 



Thus it will be seen that this species is harmless and very beneficial 

 and hence should be protected by all agriculturists thronghout the 

 countiy it inhabits. 



The nest is usually built in a tree at no great distance above the 

 ground, but when trees are not available it is placed ou the shelves of 

 some of the earth cliffs whidi abound in certain parts of the West. 

 Like that of the other larger hawks, it is composed of good-sized 

 sticks and coarse herbage of one kind or another, and is lined with 

 softer material than the bulk of the structure is comi)osed of. When 

 such things existed on the plains, the ribs and smaller bones of the 

 buftalo were used in the construction of the nest, often forming a large 

 part of it. The eggs, which are usually three or four in number, are 

 deposited early in ^lay, and by the middle of July the young are ready 

 to leave the nest. 



The Squirrel Hawk is pi:ei^minently a bird of the prairie, and, unlike 

 the common Ivough-leg, shoAvs httle partiality to the vicinity of water 

 thongh in othei- respects it closely resembles the latter bird in hal)its. 

 When this hawk is hunting its fiight appears labored and heavy, bnt 



