24 Bulletin 8 



In the fall of 1912 I saw three duck hawks flying about a cliff near 

 Benson, and as I have occasion to drive by the place once in two 

 weeks, it was an easy matter for me to locate the nesting place last 

 spring. 



The writer sees no reason why these hawks should not be just as 

 common in other parts of the state, where there are favorable cliffs, 

 as in the vicinity of Rutland. It would be interesting if members of 

 the Vermont Bird Club living in varied localities would visit likely 

 cliffs in their vicinity some time during June or July and report their 

 finds to the club. It is not necessary that the localities should be se- 

 cluded, and one nest that I know about was only a half mile from a 

 saw mill and farm house. 



NOTES ON THE NESTING HABITS OF THE SONG 

 SPARROW 



G. Whittier Fuller, W. R. Junction 



The song sparrow's nest is most frequently found in clumps of 

 grass in meadows, pastures and along the roadsides. Let me illustrate 

 from my record books. Fifty-two nests were located as follows: 20 

 in clumps of grass or at the base of small trees and in clumps of small 

 bushes; 10 in depressions or dead furrows; 7 in bushes, one to four 

 feet from the ground; 9 in grass at the base of large stones; 1 in large 

 vine; 2 six feet from ground in dense, young trees; 2 near buildings; 

 1 in hollow log. Fifteen of the above nests were situated near small 

 bodies of water, or swamp-land. 



The birds begin building by the first week in May, occasionally 

 much earlier. The nest is a substantial affair, the outer rim of which 

 is loosely formed of grass and rootlets. The inner cup is woven of 

 grass, and is lined with finer grasses, or rarely, hair. 



Here is an interesting thing to note: Of the song sparrow nests 

 placed on the ground, the majority will be found to be made up partly 

 of roots; while the greater number of nests which I have found at 

 slight elevations have been wholly composed of grass and weed-stalks. 

 Of the above mentioned nests, thirty-three were observed when the sets 

 were complete: 15 contained 4 eggs each, 12 contained 5 eggs each, 

 4 contained G eggs each, 2 contained 3 eggs each. 



