THR NEST AND EGGS. 



The ucsl of du' Marsh Hawk dilfcis from tlinl of all 

 others of thf family which hvcod liere, in bciu^ phuetl 

 on tlip j^roniid, and usually, il is said, in a swamp oi- 

 meadow. Tiic uesl. arcordini; lo different writers, is 

 compo.siod of sticks, grasses, hay, etc., or sometimes 

 no nest is made, the eggs simply being deposited on a 

 bed of grass, moss, etc., on the ground. "lOggs. thre(! 

 to eight, l.SO by 1.41. white or bluish-while, usually 

 plain, bnt often more or less siioited or Idol died with 

 pal(^ brown." — Ridgway. 



FEEDS O.X MICE. 



Xotwithslauding the fact that these hawks rarely, 

 if ever, prey upon any kinds of game except sometimes 

 an occasional Reed bird, gunners, who so industriously 

 search over the swamps never fail to destroy every 

 Marsh Hawk which comes within range of their deadly 

 weapons. 



Marsh Hawks rarely disturb ]>onltry. bul subsist 

 mainly on field mice, other small quadrupeds, frogs, 

 large insects and sometimes, though seldom they catch 

 small wild birds. In writing of the food-habits, etc., 

 of this sj)ecies Xuttall says: "It frequents chiefly, 

 open, low and marshy situations, over which it sweeps 

 or skims along at a little distance usually from the 

 ground, ill (|iii'si of miic. small birds, frogs, lizards 

 and (it her icpiiles, which it often .selects by twilight 

 as well as in the ojten day: and at times, [iressed liy 

 hunger, it joins the owls, and seeks out its prey even 

 by moonlight." 



In fourteen examinations made by myself, seven 

 hawks had only field mice in their stomachs; three, 

 frogs: two, small birds (wai-blersi; one, few f(>athers. 

 ai)parently of a sparrow (Melosptza) and fragniiMits of 



