1913 I CaMBBON, Swainson'8 Hoick in Montana. 387 



half years old. To begin at the beginning: the nestlings are 

 hatched covered with fluffy down, but at first show much pink 

 about tlu- head, where the down is absent. 



In two weeks black feathers are mixed with the white down, 



and at three weeks old the birds are nearly t'nll-1'enthered, their 



heads and breasts alone showing white. (See PI, XII.) As at this 

 age t luy are physically unable to stand np. it is impossible to obtain 



an artistic picture. At a month old the nestlings are full-fledged, 



l>nt si ill occupy their nest, although the females, which are more 

 precocious, can fly well in a wind after a lew attempts. The latter 

 nia\ be recognized by their larger size and more spirited demeanor. 



First M mi Plum u.k. 



The first plumage common to both sexes is retained for a year. 

 Until my tame haw k had finished his moult, in October, his appear- 

 ance coincided exactly with the 'young of the year' so ably de- 

 SCribed by Cones as below. (See photo of hawk at eight months 

 old.) "Entire upper parts dark brown, everywhere varied with 

 tawny edgings of the individual feathers. Under parts, including 

 lining of wings, nearly uniform fawn-color (pale dull yellowish- 

 brown), thickly and sharply marked with hlaekish-hrown. These 

 large dark spots, for the most part circular or guttiform, crowd 

 across the forehreast, scatter on the middle belly, enlarge to cross- 

 hair on the Hanks, become broad arrow-heads on the lower belly 

 and tibioe, and art 1 wanting on the throat, which is only marked 

 with a sharp, narrow, blackish penciling along the median line. 



Quills brownish-black, the outer webs with an ashy shade, the 



inner webs toward the base grayish, paler, and marbled with white, 

 and also showing obscure dark cross-bars; their shafts black on 

 top. and nearly white underneath. Tail-feathers like the quills, 

 hut more decidedly shaded with ashy or slate-gray, and tipped 

 with whitish; their numerous dark cross-bars show more plainly 

 thru those of the <|iiills, but art- not SO evident as they are in the 

 old birds." ' The legs, feet, gape and cere are chrome yellow, the 



i Key tn North American Hints, p. ;.t7, Ed. 1887, and Birds of the Northwest, 



: 



