80 



THE OOLOGIST 



in the nest. The note is peculiar, 

 somewhat like that of Cooper's Hawk 

 when disturbed at the nest, but in a 

 much higher key and with a tinkling 

 musical sound. It consists of the syl- 

 lables ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke repeated 

 many times. Most collectors are fa- 

 miliar with some form of the Red- 

 tailed Hawk and know how easily it 

 is identified as it wheels about errat- 

 ically by the rusty red on the top of 

 the tail feathers. Just so with the 

 White-tailed Hawk, it can be told at 

 once from the fact that the upper sur- 

 face of the tail and its coverts, all ex- 

 cept the very tips, appear snowy white 

 as it tips to one side and gives a view 

 of its upper surface. The young of 

 this species when in the down are 

 mouse color, differing in this respect 

 from most other hawks. This I pre- 

 sume, is a protective coloration, for 

 the nests are seldom protected in the 

 least by branches or foliage above it. 

 This species feeds upon rabbits and 

 wood rats, in fact I have found that 

 its diet is largely confined to rabbits 

 which are found in immense numbers 

 in that section. If the nest contains 

 young birds it is sure to show that 

 they are amply provided for by the 

 amount of fur and the number of rab- 

 bits' feet found in and about the nest. 

 Hence, we see that they live a charmed 

 life. I have never found any evidence 

 that they feed at any time upon other 

 birds. 



The number of eggs laid by this bird 

 is said to be two or three. Of the 

 thirty sets that I have collected three 

 nests contained one egg each, and the 

 sets were complete as shown by the 

 state of incubation; twenty-six sets 

 contained two eggs each; one set con 

 tained three eggs. In case of the sets 

 containing a single egg it is likely 

 that an egg was accidently broken by 

 the bird. In wet weather the breast 

 feathers of birds are apt to become 



thoroughly drenched at the tips, es- 

 pecially if the bird spends some time 

 on the ground as this bird does. Fresh- 

 ly laid eggs of some birds are covered 

 with white mucus, and the wet feathers 

 drying on the egg will stick to the 

 egg sufficiently to draw it from the 

 nest if the bird leaves suddenly. The 

 eggs of this hawk, when fresh, I have 

 found to be heavily coated with this 

 mucus and this may account for the 

 disappearance of an egg now and then. 

 The egg of this hawk average about 

 the size of those of the common Red- 

 tail. I have three sets of their eggs 

 that are immaculate and when taken 

 they were fresh and not soiled in the 

 least. They were of a velvety white, 

 but with age have lost some of their 

 delicate appearance. An unmarked 

 set from this bird is apt to be nest- 

 stained and it is difficult to make a 

 desirable set of it. Most sets are 

 spotted but never heavily marked. In 

 some the eggs are evenly sprinkled 

 with very fine light brown or reddish 

 brown dots, in other the spots are 

 larger but not so numerous; in one 

 set there are a few irregular bars and 

 lines scattered over each egg; in 

 another set the shells are as rough 

 as a piece of fine sandpaper, and one 

 egg has a spot of light brown that is 

 about an inch in length and about a 

 quarter of an inch wide at one place. 

 This is an unusual set and quite dif- 

 ferent from any of the rest. A number 

 of years ago I exchanged a set of these 

 eggs, and the one who received them 

 complained that they were not as well 

 marked as he wished they were. The 

 set mentioned was an excellent one 

 and well marked as they run, and it 

 was necessary for me to explain that 

 if they were heavily marked it would 

 be an indication that they were the 

 eggs of some other species. I have 

 often thought that some of our collect- 

 ors may have heavily marked sets of 



