THE KED-TAILED HAWK. 209 



years and then for some cause left it, and after remaining unused for a year 

 it was again taken by the Hawks which had, in the mean time, nested in the 

 same wood only about 20 rods away. 



"Both this and the Red-shouldered Hawk will sometimes, when driven 

 from a nest, build a new one, which they may occupy for a year or two 

 and then return to the old one. In this vicinity the Red-tailed Hawk pre- 

 fers birch trees above all others to build in, and about 80 per cent, of their 

 nests will be found in such situations. The remaining 20 per cent, is about 

 equally divided among beech, maple, hemlock, elm, and basswood trees. Why 

 these birds should prefer birch trees I do not know, for they are usually 

 not very hard to climb, while the most difficult of their nests to reach were 

 built in elm, hemlock, and basswood trees. They generally select the largest 

 and tallest trees they can find to build in, and their nests are situated near 

 the tops, in crotches formed by two or more large limbs, or at the junction 

 of large limbs with the trunks. They are usually placed from 60 to 70 feet 

 from the ground. 



"The nests are composed of sticks lined with strips of bark and twigs 

 from coniferous trees, usually the hemlock, and feathers from the birds them- 

 selves, which become more and more numerous as incubation advances. They 

 are large structures, but not out of proportion to the size of the birds. If 

 not molested they will occupy the same nest for a number of years. 



"About one-half of the nests of the Red- tailed Hawk found in this re- 

 gion contained four eggs or young, and nearly all the remainder two. At 

 least I have never seen a nest with more than four, or less than two young 

 birds, or partly incubated eggs, and but one or two that contained three. 



"Their eggs vary considerably in size, more so than those of any other 

 bird of prey with which I am acquainted, and the size of these seem to 

 have no connection with the size of the sets, as the largest sets will often 

 contain the largest eggs, and again both large and small ones are often 

 found in the same nest. But one brood is raised in a season ; but like most 

 other birds of prey the female will lay several sets of eggs when the first have 

 been destroyed. Both sexes assist in incubation, and usually are not very 

 solicitous about their eggs and young, and after they once leave their nests 

 they seldom come within gunshot, or make much ado. 



"The places where Red-tailed Hawks like best to live are small woods 

 with open swamps, or with meadows and pastures near by, and indeed all 

 grounds that are frequented by mice, for these little mammals are their favorite 

 food, as is the case with nearly all other Hawks and Owls. 



"Their call note is weak for the size of the bird, and has a rather disa- 

 greeable sound, resembling the squealing of a pig more than anything else. 

 I found the Red-tailed Hawk rather rare in Putnam and St. Johns Counties, 

 Florida, even in winter, and very few remain there to breed. On March 18, 

 1891, one of my assistants found a nest of this species in a wild and desolate 

 place, about 20 miles southeast of San Mateo and 4 or 5 miles from the nearest 

 26957 Bull. 1 14 



