OF INDIANA. 786 



whitish, longitudinally spotted or streaked with dark brown; tail, 

 dusky, crossed by numerous narrow bands of dull buffy or grayish- 

 brown. 



Length, 17.50-22.00; wing, 11.25-14.25; tail, 8.00-10.00. (Fisher). 



RANGE. Eastern North America, Mexico to Hudson Bay and Nova 

 Scotia; west to Texas and Great Plain. Breeds throughout its range. 

 Winters principally south of northern United States boundary. 



Nest, in tree, of sticks, twigs, lined with grass. Eggs, 2-5; extremely 

 variable, usually dull white, variously marked with brown; 2.15 by 

 1.70. 



Resident, varying in numbers, locally, and with the seasons. In 

 some localities in northern Indiana they are abundant in summer, and 

 breed commonly. It is common and breeds in the lower Wabash 

 Valley. In the southeastern part of the State, including the White- 

 water Valley, northwest to Carroll and Wabash counties, it is not com- 

 mon in summer, but is more numerous during the migrations and in 

 winter. While it breeds throughout the State, and, in fact, through- 

 out its range, there are places where it is very common. In Connecti- 

 cut and the southern portions of New York it is safe to say that its' 

 nests outnumber those of all the other birds of prey combined (FHirr. 

 Hawks and Owls of IT. S., p. 65). In other parts of New York it is 

 reported as follows: It is the commonest bird of prey in Oneida and 

 Herkimer counties (Bendire, L. H. of N. A. Birds, I, p. 219). Com- 

 mon in Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca and Wayne counties (Rathbun et 

 al., Rev. L. B. Cent. N. Y). Common southern resident in southern 

 Ontario; more frequent there than any other "Chicken Hawk" (Mcll- 

 wraith). In Wayne County, Ohio, it is more numerous than any other 

 Hawk, outnumbering the Red -tailed Hawk about three to one (Ober- 

 holser). In southern Michigan it is more common than the Red-tailed 

 Hawk at Bay City; common at Port Sanilac and in Kalamazoo County 

 (Cook); also in Wayne County (Trombley). In Dekalb County, Ind., 

 Mr. H. W. McBride says the Red-tailed Hawk is tolerably common, 

 but the Red-shouldered is abundant. In Elkhart it is nearly as com- 

 mon. In Monroe it is about as numerous as B. borealis, and is com- 

 mon in Vigo (Evennann). 



Mr. Robert Ridgway, in a recent letter, says, in Knox and Gibson 

 counties, in Indiana, as well as Wabash, Lawrence and Richland coun- 

 ties, 111., and in the district about Washington, D. C., the Red-shoul- 

 dered Hawk is far more numerous than the Red-tailed. I am sure 

 there are, in the counties mentioned in Indiana and Illinois, at least 

 five times as many Red-shoulders as Red-tails, and I think the dis- 

 parity of numbers was even greater in most places, fully ten to one. 

 50 GEOL. 



