BED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 105 



reptiles, batrachians, and insects. Indeed of 220 stomachs 

 which were examined of this so-called " Chicken " Hawk, 

 only 3 contained remains of poultry ! Of the rest, 12 

 contained birds ; 102, mice ; 40, other mammals ; 20, 

 reptiles; 39, batrachians; 92, insects; 16, spiders; 7, 

 crawfish ; 1, earthworms ; 2, offal ; 3, fish ; and 14 were 

 empty.* The usefulness of this Hawk is therefore obvi- 

 ous, and in killing it we can readily see that we not only 

 harm ourselves but render ' an important service to our 

 enemies. 



Fortunately, this valuable ally is one of our com- 

 monest Hawks, and is with us throughout the year. Its 

 loud scream, ~kee-you, ~kee-you, as it sails about, high in the 

 air, is a familiar summer sound. The " red " shoulder is in 

 reality a rich, reddish chestnut on the lesser wing-coverts, 

 and serves to identify the bird in both immature and 

 adult plumage. The Red-shoulder's nest, like that of 

 most of our Hawks, is constructed of sticks and twigs, 

 with a lining of cedar bark, moss, or some other soft 

 material, and is situated in a tree thirty to sixty feet 

 from the ground. Apparently the same pair of birds re- 

 turn to a locality year after year, sometimes using the 

 same nest, at others building a new one. The eggs are 

 about as large as those of a hen and in color are dull 

 white, more or less sprinkled, spotted, or blotched with 

 cinnamon-brown or chocolate. They are laid early in 

 April, most of the Hawks being early breeders. The 

 young are born covered with white down, but are help- 

 less, and are reared in the nest. 



The Red-tailed Hawk is also known as the Hen Hawk 

 or Chicken Hawk, but has almost as good a record as 



* See Fisher, The Hawks and Owls of the United States in their 

 Relation to Agriculture; Bulletin No. 3, Division of Ornithology 

 and Mammalogy, United States Department of Agriculture, 1893. 



