THE OOLOGIST. 



It would 1)6 difficult to say when tlie first 

 spring Cooper's Hawk makes his appearance 

 as alU do not go south each fall. I have met 

 with this sj^ecies in Southern Michigan 

 during every, month; of i. the ;-iyiea]aTr.lB 

 December they are often far from rare, 

 an-^i may^ ey^n.f^^be seen not . iufretpiently 

 about the edges of the city. They some- 

 times venture to the Veiy centers' of our 

 crowded sipiares in pursuit of the ubiquitous 

 Euglish House Sparrow. At these seasons 

 the swift hawk is seen gliding about our 

 yard.s, dipping down nearly to *he eaj'th 

 and again rising to the levei-iof 'the"f€BceB 

 or hedges, always active and ever on the 

 alert fo^ 'w^^^l', ^^" ^^'""i^o*!- These in- 

 cursions into the city are only inade at early 

 mqriiiug when few are stirring and; >re 

 seldom or never observed during summer, 

 but rather in early winter. The Cooper 

 1 lawk appears common about April tenth 

 and perhaps this may be taken as the 

 height of the vernal migration of 

 those which spend the winter south: of 

 lis,, I :,7 M.ihK 



'•The nesting season begins in ''Iht^ Alpril 

 a od extends into June. The nest construc- 

 tipn occupies the pair nearly ten days; much 

 of this time, however, being occupied in 

 flying about, apparently in an aimless 

 manner as during the reeeiit mating season!. 

 The nest is ready for the eggs about May 

 lixBt, but much earlier cjates, are re.corded ; 

 A pri] 22 ranking first hereabouts I believe, 

 while records of fresh sets date as late as 

 May 2''. The nc st, hereabouts, is generall3' 

 bailt in the w^ite or black oak Quernos 

 alba or Q. focciiua, but notr.arely it is found 

 in the common beech. The birds usually, 

 select the highest lands ■ fur their breeding 

 purposes and this explains why the nests 

 are so often found in^ pa^i; .ti'pes. The nest 

 is qixit 8i bulky affair, *fpr ,:the,^izi^,Qf,,l]5e 

 bird and is probably augmented in size from' 

 year to year hy the successive nestings, 

 which certainly .^j^^o,,| nmmmiV^i.uPm}^ 

 instances. ; .^^i^^j ,.,.,j;,(.y^(,Z„) v, ; 



The eggs, dirty bhie or more properly, 

 perhaps, light, dull blue, hardly need de- 

 scription here, as they are so w.ftU kuovvn. 



69 



nest,but generally occurs lafe in the season^ 

 and probably occurs as a result of a seconrf'' 

 nesting where pair was robbed of the first" 

 set. The usual number is four but ofteii'' 

 only three, and in rare instances five eggy" 

 are found. The Cooper's Hawk is ah ata-'' 

 dacious robber of the farm yard poultry*]--'* 

 but confines itself to half-grown fowls. W^ 

 is (juite retired in its habits' and its "ne^^' 

 are not readily found, and are not jgeoeralfy ' 

 seen eiicept by accidental discdvei'y'.' ' "' ' '' ' 



Goshawk.- '.'''''ii-'-'i -'': i-.ui^j,i ai Hfeo.-jo-irj orJT 

 \ ''A'^'ra*e'>wiiit4i*^»k-^&feiii"^fli <hm^'''ii4%ei^''' 

 seen ' but one aliVe. ; This captive was bwned'' ' 

 and captured near Cadillac, Michigan,"" 

 about 44 degrees, ;iO minutes north latitudt.''^ 

 I was assured that the bird was taken ftord''^ 

 a nest while young,' in thfit immediate 

 vicinitiy. The Species is not generally 

 known to be a resident of our State, but 

 only as a rare straggler to our southern 

 boundaries. 



The eggs of this species are said to very 

 nearly resemble those of the Cooper's Hawk 

 and an imposition may be and undoubtetHy 

 is frequently practiced on the unsuspecting 

 oological collector who is not sufficiently 

 exacting^as to.qdentifiiJatiQn. .:',/id i .^. ....;. 

 I liisd h n . ^ p-fi Qia to^)|^iffr i^mi a hgh at }>8Z3V 



How to B-etaiii the Natural ' t/Olor ^ olf^ 

 an Egg. 



J. G. Woodlfouiifi^feiiiythingveryintW^ii^^ 

 iug, as well as instructive, and thinkiiig it 

 might be of interest to some Of the readers 

 of ttie OoLOGisT, 1 send ' it to you. It is ' 

 a preparation for restoring the pinkish cast 

 which so many eggs lose when blown, and 

 which destroys much of the original beauty: 

 ' Make a glass tube like that whieli'iB 'ixfiM 

 in emptj'iug the eggS, but let the aperture! ■ 

 be larger,: , If eat fiome white , ^ax, ^nd 

 while it is hot and liquid mix it, with 

 carmine and gamboge, taking care to make 

 the mixture several shades deeper in hue 

 than the egg is required to be externally. 

 Warm the egg, heat the pointed end of the 



Sometimes |(j?i:l^'^tj^;p.^,^eg^g^ .^.^re^^i^o^ijnd .jn^j^.J, glass tube. a,n^\ji]gplq;,'ip some of the colored 

 ! nrrli 'to 'I'.iiHikbiq ')ili ,oiol<)TOilt .T ,.J .3 



