BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



125 



secure any specimens nor find the nest, but the time of year, the circum- 

 stances under which I saw them would seem to show that they had bred 

 or were breeding-." Mr. Robert Ridgway states that the eggs, two to 

 three, measure 2.31 long by 1.74 wide, and are white or glaucous-white, 

 sometimes very faintly marked with pale brownish. 



The following list will give a very good idea of the distribution and 

 scarcity of this species in our state. No persons other than those men- 

 tioned below have made any reference to the Goshawk in reports re- 

 ceived by the author : 



COUNTY. 



OBSERVERS. 



REMARKS. 



Berks 



Cameron. . . 

 Clearfleld. . . 

 Clinton. . . . 

 Chester. . . . 

 Centre. . . 

 Dauphin. . . 



Erie 



Lehigh. . . . 

 Lycoming. 



Lackawanna. 

 Lancaster, . . 

 Montgomery. 

 Northampton. 

 Do. 



Perry 



Sullivan. . . 

 Susquehanna. 

 Warren. . . . 

 York. 



D. F. Keller. . . . 



M. M. Larrabee. . 



Dr. L. D. Balliet. 



Dr. Van Fleet. . . 



B. H. Warren. . . 



H. J. Roddy, . . . 



B. H. Warren. . . 



George B. Bennett. 



J. F. Kocher, . 



Charles H. Eldon 

 ; August Kock. . 

 ! George P. Frlant. . 



Dr. A. C. Treichler. 



Thos. S. Gillin. 



O. B. Hark, . 



Dr. John W. Detwlller 



H. J. Roddy, . 



Otto Behr, . . 



B. H. Warren, . . 



H. L. Greenlund. 



Hon. G. C. Brown. 



Rare winter visitor. 



Rare winter visitor. 



Occasional visitor. 



Rare migrant. 



Irregular winter visitor : five seen in ten years. 



Seen July, 1888 ; probably breeds. 



Saw one January. 1887. 



Rare visitor. 



Rare winter visitor. 



Straggler in winter. 



Rare visitor ; have an immature bird taken in winter. 



Rare ; winter; have received three in ten years. 



Straggler in winter. 



Rare migrant. 



Straggler. 



Occasional winter visitor. 



Shot female June. 1885 ; probably breeds. 



Regular breeder. 



Saw one December. 1889 



Straggler in severe winters. 



Rare visitor. 



NOTE. Mr. Joseph Krider and other taxidermists in Philadelphia and different 

 parts of the state say they very rarely have Goshawks brought to them. 



The fierce nature of this species is well shown in the concluding par- 

 agraphs from the pen of my highly esteemed friend, L. M. Turner : * 

 " The tracts preferred by this Goshawk are the narrow valleys, borders 

 of streams, and the open tundra, which it constantly scans for Ptarmi- 

 gan and small mammals ; the Lemming forming a considerable portion 

 of its food. It will sit for hours in some secluded spot, awaiting a Ptar- 

 migan to raise its wings. No sooner does its prey rise a few feet from 

 the earth than with a few rapid strokes of the wing, and a short sail, 

 the Goshawk is brought within seizing distance ; it pounces upon the 

 bird, grasping it with both feet under the wings, and after giving it a 

 few blows on the head they both fall to the ground ; often tumbling 

 several feet before they stop, the hawk not relinquishing its hold during 

 the time. During the mating season of the Ptarmigans many males 

 suffer death while striving to gain the affection of the female, for as he 

 launches high in air, rattling his hoarse note of defiance to any other 

 male of its kind in the vicinity, the Goshawk darts from a patch of alders 

 or willows, or from the edge of the neighboring bluff, and with a dash 

 they come to the ground, often within a few yards of the terror-stricken 



* Contributions to the Natural History of Alaska, results of investigations made chiefly in the Yukon 

 district and the Aleutian islands : conducted under the auspices of the U. S. Signal Service, extending 

 from May. 1874, to August. 1881. by L. M. Turner. 



