THE SHARP-SHINKED HAWK. 189 



although she had laid but three eggs. On May 16, Mr. Egbert Bagg and I went 

 to collect the eggs, and on our arrival found the female sitting and the male just 

 flying to the nest with a mole in his claws. As we reached the foot of the 

 tree the female flew to a limb near by and the male disappeared from view, and 

 till the climber reached the nest the only demonstration made by either was 

 the cry uttered by the female. Nevertheless she was fierce enough then, strik- 

 ing at him every few seconds while he was in the tree, a period of about a 

 quarter of an hour, except in a single instance, when, she hurt herself by fly- 

 ing against a limb, which kept her quiet for two or three minutes. During 

 the last half of the fight the male took part and struck at the climber as 

 determinedly as his mate. This is the only time I have ever known a male 

 of this species to make any kind of demonstration while its nest was being 

 robbed. The set of eggs belonging to this pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks is 

 the earliest I have ever found. The nest was peculiar, much deeper than 

 usual, measuring about 7 inches in depth on the inside, while the majority are 

 generally quite shallow in comparison with the diameter. This little Hawk is 

 not uncommon in portions of St. Johns and Putnam Counties, Florida, during 

 the winter, and I think that a very few remain to breed. The native hunters 

 say that they stay during the summer, and I have spoken with some that claim 

 to have found their nests. The latest date on which I saw any of these birds 

 during the season of 1891 was March 26. Like the Marsh Hawk, they will 

 sometimes fly just in front of a forest or prairie fire to catch the small mam- 

 mals that are driven out by the heat." 



Mr. J. H. Sage found a nest of this species containing four fresh eggs in a 

 small white pine tree, in a grove of these trees and hemlocks, near Portland, 

 Connecticut, May 30, 1889. This nest was composed entirely of pine and hem- 

 lock sticks and twigs; it was saddled on the base of a limb and built partly 

 around the trunk of the tree. The nest was 8 inches thick, 30 inches in longest 

 and 23 inches in shortest diameter; the depression for the eggs was very slight; 

 it was 48 feet from the ground. The female was on the nest and was shot as 

 she flew from it; she was in the young plumage. The male was flying about, 

 continually uttering the peculiar cry of this species. The Sharp-shinned is 

 one of the most abundant Hawks in the vicinity of Portland, and is seen occa- 

 sionally in the winter. 



Mr. Lynds Jones, of Grrinnell, Iowa, found eggs of this species on May 2, 

 and writes me "that in this locality they breed occasionally in hollows in 

 'American lindens,' and in such cases the nest is made of the inner bark of this 

 tree and of the wild grapevine, with a lining of grass and feathers. When built 

 in a tree (an open nest) sticks are used. It generally chooses limbless trees, 

 most frequently oaks, to nest in, from 15 to 60 feet up. I believe the female 

 alone incubates, from the fact that at this time the male only is seen searching 

 for food." 



In the vicinity of St. Johns, New Brunswick, Mr. J. W. Banks says this 

 species nests usually in the latter part of May and the beginning of June; 



