RED-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, kée-you, kée-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 Rei-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 Agricultare; Bulletin No. 3, Division of Ornithology 
and Mammalogy, United States Department of Agriculture, 1893. 
—s 6h(Uvw. Cle = <<< 
