114 FALCONID.E : HAWKS. 



from the nest to the edge of the narrow shelf supporting 

 it, launched into the air. In a twinkling Mr. Bennett's 

 unerring aim sent her tumbling dead at the foot of the 

 precipice, several hundred feet below. The nest con- 

 tained four eggs, which were soon safely secured, and 

 the body of the female was obtained from the foot of the 

 cliff. The male soon coming about was shot at, but he 

 was too shy to come within range, excepting once, when 

 the gun was being reloaded. The eggs were all laid 

 after April 9, and their contents showed, April 19, that 

 they had been incubated but a day or two. Incubation 

 seems, in this case, to have commenced several weeks 

 later than usual, which may have been owing to the late 

 snows and unusual coldness of the weather this year dur- 

 ing the first half of April. 



" The situation of the eyrie was near the highest part 

 of the mountain, about one-third of the length of the 

 mountain from its south end, on a narrow shelf in the 

 rock, eight or ten feet from the top of a nearly perpen- 

 dicular cliff, 150 or 200 feet in height, and was inacces- 

 ible except to a bold climber, and at one particular point. 

 The nest was merely a slight excavation, sufficient to 

 contain the eggs ; no accessory material had been added. 

 The site had been previously occupied, and probably for 

 several years ; and for weeks before the eggs were laid 

 was carefully guarded by the bold and watchful birds." 



These four eggs averaged 2.22 long by 1.68 broad, with 

 2.22 by 1.71, and 2.16 by 1.65 as maxima and minima, re- 

 spectively. The smallest was larger than the one meas- 

 ured by Dr. Brewer (2.00 by 1.56), which he obtained in 

 Labrador. They also varied considerably in contour, and 

 in heaviness and extent of coloration they showed a series 

 from the darkest and most nearly uniform to the lightest 



