38 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



excepting when it is describing the circles just mentioned, when it 

 often dives and gambols. It is a more general inhabitant of the 

 woods than most of our other species, particularly during the sum- 

 mer, and in autumn and winter ; now and then only, in early spring, 

 showing itself in the open grounds, and about the vicinity of small 

 lakes, for the purpose of securing red- winged starlings and wounded 

 ducks. 



u The interior of woods seems, as I have said, the fittest haunts 

 for the Red-shouldered Hawk. He sails through them a few yards 

 above the ground, and suddenly alights on the low branch of a 

 tree or the top of a dead stump, from which he silently watches, 

 in an erect posture, for the appearance of squirrels, upon which 

 he pounces directly, and kills in an instant, afterwards devour- 

 ing them on the ground. If accidentally discovered, he essays to 

 remove the squirrel ; but, finding this difficult, he drags it, partly 

 through the air and partly along the ground, to some short distance, 

 until he conceives himself out of sight of the intruder, when he 

 again commences feeding. The eating of a whole squirrel, which 

 this bird often devours at one meal, so gorges it, that I have seen 

 it in this state almost unable to fly, and with such an extraordinary 

 protuberance on its breast as seemed very unnatural, and very 

 injurious to the beauty of form which the bird usually displays. 

 On all occasions such as I have described, when the bird is so 

 gorged, it is approached with the greatest ease. On the contrary, 

 when it is in want of food, it requires the greatest caution to get 

 within shooting distance of it. 



" At the approach of spring, this species begins to pair ; and its 

 flight is accompanied with many circlings and zigzag motions, 

 during which it emits its shrill cries. The male is particularly 

 noisy at this time. He gives chase to all other hawks, returns to 

 the branch on which his mate has chanced to perch, and caresses 

 her. This happens about the beginning of March. 1 The spot 

 adapted for a nest is already fixed upon, and the fabric is half 

 finished. The top of a tall tree appears to be preferred by this 

 hawk, as I have found its nest more commonly placed there, not 

 far from the edges of woods bordering plantations. 



"When one ascends to the nest (which, by the way, is not 



1 May in New England. 



