HAWKS AND EAGLES. 363 



setts, though known to have bred on Mount Tom, near Spring- 

 field.* 



a. About eighteen inches long. Above, dark ash (brown- 

 ish or bluish, according to age), "waved" with a paler shade. 

 Tail, banded. Beneath, white or buffy ; breast spotted, and 

 sides barred, with black. Forehead, whitish ; cheeks, black. 



b. The nest, if any, is built on a cliff, in some spot not 

 easily accessible. A set of four eggs, found in this State, was 

 laid in the early part of April. The Duck Hawk's eggs aver- 

 age about 2.20 X 1.70 of an inch, and are creamy, buff, red- 

 dish, or even brick-red, blotched and clouded with (several 

 shades of) dark brown, often of a reddish tinge. A specimen 

 in my collection presents a form or appearance, frequently ob- 

 servable in other eggs, that of having had the upper and darker 

 markings removed. 



c. The spirited Duck Hawks (the American representa- 

 tives of the famous Peregrine Game-falcons) belong to the 

 highest nobility of their tribe, rarely descending from the dig- 

 nity of open warfare, and pursuing birds on the wing with 

 unsurpassed courage, speed, and skill. They are known to 

 breed in several isolated parts of New England, where they 

 are probably resident throughout the year, but in eastern Mas- 

 sachusetts, though they may occur along the coast in autumn 

 or winter, they are extremely rare. Audubon, from his devo- 

 tion to the pursuit of birds, was undoubtedly more familiar 

 with the birds of prey than any other of our writers; and, 

 having had no opportunities to study the habits of the Duck 

 Hawk, I shall quote from him. 



" The flight of this bird is of astonishing rapidity. It is 

 scarcely ever seen sailing, unless after being disappointed in 

 its attempt to secure the prey which it has been pursuing, 



* The Duck Hawk still breeds reg- however, it is seldom seen excepting 



ularly at a few widely separated local- during the migrations in spring and 



ities among the mountains of northern autumn, when it is not uncommon, es- 



New England and on Mt. Tom in pecially along the coast and near our 



Massachusetts, while as late at least as larger lakes and rivers. A few birds 



1877 a pair nested on Talcott Moun- pass the winter in southern New Eng- 



tain, near Hartford, Connecticut, land. W. B. 

 Throughout most of New England, 



