RiKPs OF Indiana. 780 



"I think tlie_Y remain niatod for lil'e, as 1 liavc not onl^y anlod cci'- 

 iain poouliarities of the birds occiipjdng the same nesting site from 

 year to year, bnt have been able to identify certain pairs by some pe- 

 culiar shape or markings of the eggs. 



"Toward the latter part of March they are at work repairing the old 

 home, or, if it has been destroyed, in building a new one in the same 

 locality, and by the first of April the females commence laying. The 

 earliest date that I have taken the eggs of this species was March 29, 

 1890, when I took a set of two fresh eggs near Waterloo. This set is 

 remarkable for several reasons. In the first place, at the time I took 

 it, the weather was very cold, the gronnd was covered with snow, and 

 the lower part of the nest was a solid mass of ice, the only dry and 

 warm spot being the cavity, about eight inches in dian\etor, which 

 had been covered by the bird. The eggs are also nn usually large, 

 measuring 1.98 by 2.50 and 1.99 by 2.49 inches. This sot is now in 

 the collection of Mr. H. W. Flint, of New Haven, Conn. 



""From April 1st to the IHth. fresh eggs may bo rduiid, Iml al'lor 

 (hat. (late they are too far a(l\ancr(l in inenhation for prcscrNation. 



"My observations would indicate (bat (lu> period of iiu'uha(i()n cov- 

 ered about 18 days. 



'"Out of about 25 sets of eggs T have tal^en the stages of iiicnl)a(ion 

 average as follows: Fresh, April 5; slightly ineu])ated. April 8; incu- 

 bation advanced one-half, April 12; nearly ready to'haieh. A])ril 17; 

 young Just hatched, April 21. 



"On March 10, 1891. while after (hvat Horned Owls' eggs, near 

 Waterloo, I saw a Eed-tail fly from a hirge nest, and shot her. After 

 ascending the tree and finding the nest completed, l)u( no I'ggs. T 

 opened the bird (female) and found a very large and completely 

 formed egg, with a hard shell, and evidently about ready (o lay. This 

 would have been a record breaker, as it M'as nearly twiuify days earlier 

 than T ever found their eggs. 



"The nests are large, made of sticks, lined with small ( wii^s, leaves, 

 and sometimes grass, and usually placed in the fork of a large tree^ — 

 beech, oak or ash — anywhere from 35 to 100 feet from the ground. 



"The birds generally leave the nest upon the approach of any on(> 

 and remain at a good distance, circling about and uttering a peculiar 

 "s(|ueal" very unlike the harsh scream of the T?ed-shoTildered ?Tawk. 



"The usual number of eggs in the sets I have taken is fwo, and 

 never have T found more than three. The largest set was taken April 

 13, 1890, a few miles from Waterloo, in Dekalb County, aiul is now 

 in the State Museum at Indianapolis. My record book cotif.siu« the 

 following recinxl of this set: 



