THE ROBBERS OF THE FALLS 



otherwise in years. They are such fine, large, spirited 

 birds, their nests big, in big trees, in big woods, and 

 there is a peculiar fascination in hunting for them. 

 The boy who catches the hawk fever will find it almost 

 impossible to cure. I had a severe attack of this fever 

 when about fifteen years old, and there is no sign yet of 

 my getting over it. I fear that Ned has caught it from 

 me and will be in for it for life. 



During the late fall and winter I usually have some 

 fine tramps exploring the groves or woodland tracts 

 where there is the tallest timber, looking up likely 

 nesting places and old nests which may be occupied 

 another year. Hawk's nests are built entirely of 

 sticks; those built wholly or in part of leaves belong to 

 squirrels. Then there are crow's nests, which cannot 

 always be distinguished from those of hawks. 



In the nesting season the signs of a new, occupied 

 nest are these: the ends of the sticks in the nest ap- 

 pearing a lighter color, freshly broken; similar sticks 

 on the ground beneath the nest; bits of white down 

 clinging to the nest or to twigs near it. The ques- 

 tion is often settled by seeing the hawk fly off as we 

 approach. 



It is great fun to hunt up the nests of the big "Hen 

 Hawks" Red-tails and Red-shoulders in the first of 

 the season, during April. The temperature is fine for 

 vigorous tramping and climbing, and it is splendid, 

 exhilarating sport. Each pair of these birds stay in 

 the same woods year after year, and either use the same 



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