Burns—On BroAb-wiIncep Hawk. 207 
scream “Whee-e-e.” Blanchan, “Che-e-e-e.’ Preston likens 
it to the Killdeer Plover and tolerably well represented by 
the syllables “Chee-e-e-e,’ sharp and piercing when the bird 
is angry or drawling and pitiful when an intruder comes too 
near the nest. Frequently he had almost decided to leave 
the humble parent in possession of her treasures, so pleading 
was she, and her attitude so indicative of sorrow. Jackson 
likens its voice to the grating of a large door on its hinges, 
and Reed to the creaking of branches. Abbott decribes it 
as a rather prolonged, mellow whistle that is pleasing and 
very different from the cat-like scream of the Red-tail; Mi- 
not who was not very familiar with the species, thinks it not 
unlike the familiar cries of the “Hen Hawks.” Burroughs 
calls it the smoothest, most ear-piercing note he knows of 
in the woods. Mearns calls it a squealing note. 
In Minnesota it sounds like “Siggee, siggee,’ something 
like a Killdeer, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak or the alarm. cry 
of a Red—winged Blackbird to Currie; while Peobody hears 
a shrill shriek of ‘“ Tig-g-e-e-e tig-g-e-e-c”’ that stirs his 
blood. Widmann describes it as a piercing “ Ré ee,” and it 
sounds almost exactly like the whistle of the Killdeer to 
Ralph, which agrees with the description given by Riley 
“ Kill-e-e-e.” According to the latter’s experience this cry 
is never given in a hurry or in quick succession. It might 
with propriety be called the nest call, as he has never heard 
it except in the vicinity of a nest. White also favors the 
Killdeer note. Wintle heard it utter a note very much like 
a Cowbird. The manuscript notes are almost as widely at 
variance. A. C. Bent describes the bird whistling her char- 
acteristic note, so different from that of any other hawk 
“Kwee-e e e e @,’ a shrill whistle on a high key, long drawn 
out, plaintive and diminishing in force. The Red-shouldered 
occasionally utters a somewhat similar note, but on a lower 
key and not so prolonged. He also heard a “Ker-weee ee ee’ 
uttered by a bird sailing over the tree tops. Henry W. 
Beers and Harry S. Hathaway think squealing describes its 
notes better than whistling, and the latter has heard the East 
