COUES ON BIRDS OF DAKOTA AND MONTANA. 



625 



full-grown bird of the year. There is evidently then a wide extension 

 of the breeding-season, unless two broods are reared, which seems not 

 unlikely. 



During the season of 1874, I took plenty of eggs. Wherever there 

 were trees, the birds preferred them. In the Milk Eiver countrj^, they 

 nested on the cut-banks. I never found more than two eggs in a nest, 

 and supposed this to be the usual number. In one case of a single egg, 

 supposed to be of this species, incubation was advanced. All these eggs, 

 excepting an addled one found in a deserted nest the latter part of Au. 

 gust, were taken between Juue 21st and July 17th. The eggs depart 

 from the rule in this genus, in being nearly colorless and unmarked, 

 resembling hens' eggs quite closely, both in size and shape. Most of 

 the specimens taken were uniform dull white, with no more evident 

 markings than such obsolete grayish spots as frequently appear on Marsh 

 Harriers' eggs. A few were marked with obvious dirty-brownish 

 scratchy spots at the smaller end ; none were marked all over, nor 

 strongly blotched anywhere. 



The food of these Hawks seems to consist principally of gophers {Sper- 

 mopMli], which they pounce upon when caught away from home, or lie 

 in wait for at the mouths of the burrows, ready to "yank "them out 

 with a quick thrust of the talons when they show their noses. But 

 they also feed largely upon grasshoppers, with which their crops are 

 sometimes found crammed. They cut a very ridiculous figure when 

 skipping about over the prairie after these lively insects. A more 

 extended notice of the habits of the species, with descriptions of its 

 various plumages, may be found in my paper in the "American Natu- 

 ralist" for May, 1874 (pp. 282-287), and in the article in the " Birds 

 of the Northwest ". 



List of specimens. 



Bull. iv. No. 3 6 



