Sir John Richardson 1 says, "In the soft- other birds; two hundred and seventy- 

 ness and fullness of its plumage, its feath- eight contained mice; one hundred and 

 ered legs and habits, this bird bears some thirty-one, other mammals ; thirty-seven, 

 resemblance to the owls. It flies slowly, frogs and related animals or reptiles ; for- 

 sits for a long time on the bough of a ty-seven, insects; eight, crawfish; one, 

 tree, watching for mice, frogs, etc., and centipedes ; thirteen, offal, and eighty- 

 is often seen sailing over swampy pieces nine were empty. This surely is not a 

 of ground', and hunting for its prey by bad showing for this bird, so often ma- 

 the subdued daylight, which illuminates ligned by being called "hen" or "chick- 

 even the midnight hours in the high par- en-hawk." Its preferred food is evi- 

 allels of latitude." Mr. Ridgway says, dently the smaller mammals, and as it is 

 "for noble presence and piercing eye this common or even abundant it must be of 

 bird has few equals among our Falcon- great value to agricultural interests. The 

 idae." younger birds are more apt to take poul- 



The eggs of this species vary from two try because of "a lack of skill in procur- 



to five and are usually somewhat blotch- ing a sufficient quantity of the more usual 



ed or irregularly marked with chocolate prey." 



brown on a dull white background. Mr. P. M. Silloway says, "None of the 



The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis) Hawks has suffered more undeserved 



of our illustration is young and shows persecution than has the Red-tailed Buz- 



the plumage of the immature form. zard or Hawk, whose characteristics 



This species may be called our winter place it among the ignoble falcons, or 



hawk and for this reason the name bo- hawks, of feudal times. Lacking the 



realis is most appropriate. "The coldest swiftness and impetuosity of attack pe- 



days of January serve to give this hawk culiar to the true falcons, it depends on 



a keener eye and a deeper zest for the its ability to surprise its prey and drop 



chase." The best locality to seek the upon it when unable to escape." 



Red-tail may be found at the wooded During the summer months it retires 



borders of pastures and streams, where to the forests to breed, where it builds a 



it can easily perceive and swoop down large and bulky though shallow nest in 



upon its prey. It seldom visits a barn- trees, often at a height of from fifty to 



yard, but will occasionally catch a fowl seventy-five feet from the ground. The 



that -has strayed away from the protec- nest is constructed of sticks and small 



tion of buildings. Its food consists to a twigs and lined with grass, moss, feath- 



great extent of meadow and other species ers or other soft materials. The number 



of mice, rabbit? and other rodents. The of eggs is usually three, though there 



remains of toads, frogs and snakes have may be two or four. They are a little 



also been found in its stomach. One over two inches long and less than two 



writer says, "The Red-tailed Hawk is inches in diameter. They are dull 



a powerful bird and I once saw one whitish in color and usually somewhat 



strike-a full-grown muskrat, which it tore marked with various shades of brown, 



to pieces and devoured the greater part." The full plumage of the adult is not 



Dr. Fisher gives an interesting sum- acquired for some time and the bird has 



mary of the examination of five hundred been long full grown before the charac- 



and sixty-two stomachs. Fifty-four con- teristic red color of the tail appears, 



tained poultry or game birds ; fifty-one, Seth Mindweli. 



54 



