778 KEPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Mexico northward. Winters from northern New York and northern 

 Indiana southward. 



Nest, in trees, 20 to 50 feet up, of sticks, lined with twigs and bark 

 (often use other nests, preferably crows* or squirrels'). Eggs, 2-6; 

 bluish or greenish-white, sometimes indistinctly marked with brown 

 or drab; 1.93 by 1.50. 



Bill and Foot of Cooper'^ Hawk. Natural size. 



Resident. In northern part of the State, rare in winter. Most nu- 

 merous during migrations, and in summer. Some severe winters they 

 are rare. Prof. Cooke says, in the winter of 1883-4, none were re- 

 ported north of 38 degrees (Bird Mig. Miss. Valley, p. 114). It has 

 been noted in the following counties, through the winter: Lake 

 (Meyer), Fulton (Barnell), Carroll (Evermann), Monroe (Blatchley), 

 Knox (Balmer), and Franklin. Breeds throughout the State. In fall 

 they migrate in September and October; in spring, in March. They 

 are mated early in April and looking for nesting sites or repairing an 

 old nest. The site is the fork or notch of some tree, generally from 

 20 to 50 feet from the ground. Sometimes they build a new nest, at 

 other times they occupy that of the preceding year or even an old nest 

 of some other hawk, or of a squirrel. The nests are sometimes very 

 bulky, others well constructed and shapely. They begin laying in 

 April, and full sets of eggs have been taken from April 25 to May 

 10. One brood is reared a year, though if the first laying is destroyed, 

 a second, or, in case of loss of second, a third set has been known to be 

 laid, sometimes in the same, sometimes in another nest. The eggs are 

 deposited at intervals of one to two days, and incubation does not 

 begin till the set is nearly completed. The female does most of the 

 incubating and the male supplies her with food. 



