Vol. XXX 



i.,i. ; Siii.kua.v, Nest Life <>j the 8parrow Hawk. 409 



By June L0, the down, or more correctly the oeossoptiles, began 

 to look dirty and the nexl day pinfeathers showed in this covering. 

 By the L3th, the pinfeathers bad pushed thea neossoptiles away 

 from the body to such an extent that the nestling looked half 



clothed. At sixteen days of age (lie barbs of their remises showed 

 sufficiently for one to l,< positive concerning the Be of the hawklets, 

 and it. was Learned that eggs Nos. 2 and had contained males, and 

 Nbs. I and 5 females. It was the shell of the fifth egg that bore 

 unusual markings. Could oologists Cot- the clutchers of eggs) 

 have studied the life of the bird that came from this egg, it is 

 believed that all would have been convinced that "what is in the 

 egg" is of greater importance than the lifeless shell. Numerous 

 visitors came to see the young Sparrow Hawks and a nestful of 

 Flickers that were being reared in the ham. Two of these friend; 

 from a distance named the young hawks, bestowing on the older 



male the name of Jeremiah, and his younger brother, because of 

 his extreme meekness, was called Moses; the females were named 

 llnth and Jezebel. Tin- last mentioned was an extremely wicked 

 little wretch. When but sixteen days old she began to fight. 

 Upon tin opening of the nesl door that day the rest of the brood 

 stood hack against the side of the nest and opened their months, 

 a feeding response probably, hut with a threatening mien Jezebel 

 stretched herself to her utmost height, some seven or eight inches, 

 then struck at my hand repeatedly with her claws. From that day 

 onward a marked difference was ohserved in hehavior of the males 

 and of the females. When a finger or a stick was pointed into the 

 ti' t all opened their mouths; the males did little more than this 

 as they hugged the farthest side of the nest, hut the females, 

 springing to the center of the nest, every feather on their heads 

 standing out seemingly at right angles, wings spread, mouths open 

 ami squawking, were ready to claw and bite, Jezebel being the 

 fiercer of the pair. When taken from the nest the rapidity with 

 which she would whirl round, when a finger was circled ahove her, 

 was remarkable especially at the early age of eighteen days. Some- 

 times clawing was done by Jerry, hut Moses usually was as gentle 

 a a dove. The rceord of their daily weights shows, that after the 

 mother ceased to \'*-><\ them, the females appropriated more than 

 their share of food, in fact on June 22 it was noted that Moses, 



