THE OOLOGIST 



57 



Much rarer than formerly. A pair 

 nested in an oak wood near Bethany 

 in the spring of 1918. I had unusual 

 glimpses of the male bird once or 

 twice with the help of a stray hound 

 which chanced to flush the bird in my 

 direction. 



30. Mourning Dove 



Common summer resident. During 

 the season of 1918 the nest of a dove 

 was the first to be found. The female 

 was incubating her two fresh eggs 

 while the robins were just building. 

 They are most commonly found nest- 

 ing in the trees leaning over the creek 

 bank. 



31. Turkey Vulture 



Not seen until 1916, at which time 

 an isolated individual was seen flying 

 laboredly before a heavy storm, like 

 an ill omen. Later a group of six 

 were seen assembled about a dead 

 horse near the northern county line. 

 In 1919 a pair wer seen flying near and 

 up into the cliffs along the Buffalo 

 near Wellsburg. I had no opportunity 

 for examining these cliffs but feel that 

 they may have nested there. 



32. Sharp Shinned Hawk 

 Commonest of the small hawks, and 



surely nests. Two young birds of the 

 year were shot at the same time in the 

 summer of 1914 and brought to me. 

 They were undoubtedly from the same 

 brood. I found the freshly killed body 

 of a junco which a sharp-shin had 

 just rendered headless; the little vil- 

 lian made away rapidly just as I got 

 to the body of the bird, which was 

 moving its last. It was about as quick 

 a piece of work as I ever saw. 



33. Cooper Hawk 



Recorded three times. One was 

 killed with a rock in a corn fleld while 

 it was attempting to catch a bird in 

 a corn shock. 



34. Am. Goshawk 



I saw one specimen at very close 

 range in a low willow. I came upon 



the bird very suddenly, and it was so 

 strikingly large that I thought it was 

 a cat at first. An erring shot failed 

 to secure the bird. It was immature. 



35. Red Tailed Hawk 



The commonest nesting hawk of the 

 region. During my residence I dis- 

 covered about ten nests and secured 

 four sets of eggs. The birds are 

 usually careful in selecting a secluded 

 section of the woods for the nest. I 

 found one female incubating two in- 

 fertile eggs. One wonders how long 

 she would have sat on them. My 

 earliest set was secured on Mar. 31, 

 1915. I secured several specimens of 

 the birds, and had one fine young male 

 in captivity for about two weeks. The 

 accompanying sketch of his head and 

 talon were made from life. I had to 

 wrap him up in a towel to keep him 

 quiet, and even then he got loose and 

 caused considerable trouble in the 

 room. 



36. Am. Sparrow Hawk 

 Apparently does not nest in the coun- 

 ty though the conditions are certain- 

 ly favorable. I secured two specimens 

 and three were brought to me. 



37. Am. Osprey 



Recorded once on May 1, 1919, 

 though the bird was not secured. It 

 disappeared to the north whence it 

 came. It circled gracefully over the 

 Buffalo for about five minutes. There 

 is a report that Pish Hawks nest up 

 in some of the wilder hills, but I 

 have not found any. 



38. Am. Barn Owl 



A rare permanent resident. One 

 brood was raised near Bethany in the 

 season of 1918. The young made an 

 incessant racket in the evening, and 

 possibly all night, though I never 

 stayed up all night to ascertain this. 

 I mounted two specimens during my 

 residence in Bethany. 



39. Barred Owl 



A pair nested at Logan's hollow ii^ 



