410 Sherman, Vest lAf Sparrow Hawk. [jvHj 



one day younger than Jesebel, was five days behind her in weight, 

 and three days in development of plumage. No strife over their 

 food was ever witnessed. This yielding of their lawful share of 

 food by the nudes may have had its origin in their disposition in 



mature life to give the food they bring to their mates. Ruth was 

 found eating more frequently than the others. 



Viewing oi the nest when the mother bird was at home was eager- 

 erly sought. The blind in which the nest was located is a rude 

 structure, forty-five inches square, built for shelter while watching 

 Kails ami migrating birds. In preparation for observing the nest 

 while Mother Sparrow Hawk was at home the windows wore 

 completely darkened. Some eraeks in the walls let in a little 

 light, also a little fresh air, which in the latter days o( the nest 

 proved an appreciated blessing. Protection from the faint rays 

 of light that penetrated through the eraeks was afforded by the 

 depths of a sun-bonnet. The keenness of vision o{ a hawk is 

 proverbial, that these precautions were sufficient was proved when 

 for a half hour undetected, 1. sixteen inches away, looked through 

 a peep-hole into the mother hawk's eye, and watched her as she 

 brooded. This was not achieved upon the first attempt, when two 

 hours were spent in fruiltess waiting for her coming. After that. 

 except near the close o( the nest period when both parents wore 

 absent hunting, all attempts to watch the nest during the mother's 

 visits were made after visitors to the blind hail left me there alone. 

 At first standing noiselessly upon a box with head scraping the roof 

 of the blind for one hour, or for two hours, was not an easy task, 

 later it became almost insupportable with the heat of an afternoon 

 sun boating upon the blind, and with the stench from a nest, whose 

 walls were thickly incrusted with excrements, but consummation 

 was near at hand when hawk screams were heard from without, 

 that called forth anticipatory peeps from the young after they wore 

 old enough to note the screams. When the mother came in there 

 was little clamor and no struggling for (ooA on the part of the 

 nestlings. In their earlier days they merely braced themselves in 

 the circle where they lay. later they stood in an orderly row against 

 the side of the nest. With great rapidity the mother tore the flesh 

 and bending her head almost at right angle with the bill o( the 

 young one she gave it the morsel. Her motions in this aet were 



