RAKER BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 515 



year discovered. In 1868 hawks of this species were seen 

 about the mountains, and although they reared their young 

 there, all effort to discover their nest was ineffectual. The 

 present year (1869) they commenced to lay in the old nest- 

 ing place, but as they were robbed when but one egg had 

 been deposited, they deserted it and chose a site still more 

 inaccessible. Here they were equally unfortunate, for during 

 a visit to this mountain, in company with Mr. Bennett (April 

 28th), we had the great pleasure of discovering their second 

 eyrie, and from which, with considerable difficulty, three 

 freshly laid eggs were obtained. Not discouraged by this 

 second misfortune, they nested again, this time depositing 

 their eggs in the old eyrie from which all except the last set 

 of eggs have been obtained. Again they were unfortunate, 

 Mr. Bennett removing their second set of eggs, three in 

 number, May 23d, at which time incubation had just com- 

 menced. The birds remained about the mountain all the 

 summer, and from the anxiety they manifested in August it 

 appears not improbable that they laid a third time, and at 

 this late period had unfledged young. 



The first set of eggs and the female parent, collected 

 April 19th, 1864, are in the Museum of Natural History at 

 Springfield, as also a male killed subsequently at the same 

 locality in April ; the second set, collected in April, 1866, 

 are in the cabinet of Mr. E. A. Samuels ; the third and 

 fourth sets, collected April 28th and May 23d, 1869, are in 

 that of Dr. William Wood, of East Windsor Hill, Conn. 

 Although in each set the different eggs sometimes varied con- 

 siderably from each other, neither of the three last present 

 that remarkable range of variation exhibited by the first.* 

 It is probable that some years more than one pair have 

 nested on Mount Tom, but only one nest-site had been 

 discovered before the present year. I learn from Dr. Wood 

 that this bird is every year seen also about Talcott Mountain, 

 and that it probably regularly breeds there. The young 



* See Proceedings of the Essex Institute, Vol. iv, p. 157. 



