EED-TAILED HAWK. 49 



which had just been shot. During the descent the crow made consider 

 able commotion, which evidently attracted the Hawk, for with a swift- 

 ness of iiight that would have done credit to the Duck Hawk it struck 

 the crow just as it reached the ground. In the warmer parts of the 

 year, the Eed-tail feeds quite extensively on snakes and frogs, and indi- 

 viduals may be seen flying with snakes in their talons, or maybe started 

 from the marshes while watching for frogs. Audubon states that he 

 has seen it pounce on soft- shelled tortoises, but in each case the latter 

 appeared to be successful in escaping to the water. At certain times, 

 like the other Buteos, this Hawk seems to relish a diet of insects, of 

 which grasshoppers, crickets, and the larvae and imagos of the larger 

 beetles form a large proportion. 



Meadow mice seem to form the staple article of its food, although at 

 times other species of mice, arboreal and ground squirrels, rabbits, or 

 an occasional mole or shrew are found among the stomach contents. 

 This Hawk and its allied species render valuable service in reducing 

 the numbers of ground squirrels (SpermopMlus and Tamias) and rabbits, 

 so abundant and excessively injurious to crops in some parts of the 

 west. In western Texas Mr. Lloyd states that the Eed-taU " feeds on 

 prairie dogs, cotton-tails, jack-rabbits, and occasionally brings a scaled 

 quail to the young." (Auk, vol. iv, 1887, p. 188.) 



Mr. William Brewster, writing of the food of this Hawk, says : "At 

 this season [winter] it feeds exclusively on mice and rats; in early 

 spring on toads, frogs, snakes, and the like. I doubt if it ever attacks 

 birds, for in about a dozen specimens examined at different seasons I 

 have never been able to detect any of their remains, nor have I ever seen 

 it jjursue one. Occasionally a wounded quail or snipe will fall a prey, 

 but such cases must be rare." (Forest and Stream, vol. TI, 1876, p. 3.) 



Joseph H. Batty writes : "The red-tailed hawk is a iiowerful bird, 

 and I once saw one strike a full-grown muskrat, which it tore to pieces 

 and devoured the greater part. * # if j Jiave taken portions of the 

 bodies of young woodchucks and gray rabbits from the craws of hawks 

 of this species ; it is evident that they prey largely upon mammals as 

 well as fowl." (Forest and Stream, iv, 1875, p. 374.) 



Mr. Calvin Eawson says: " In one nest of Eed- tailed Hawks I have 

 seen portions of nine red squirrels, and from another have counted out 

 on the ground seven entire bodies. A game bird or chicken now and 

 then, but red squirrels for everyday bill of fare." (Ornithologist and 

 Oologist, vol. VIII, 1883, p. 17.) 



Of 173 stomachs of this Hawk examined by Dr. B. H. Warren, 131 

 contained the remains of mice; 6, rabbits; 3, red squirrels; 2, skunks; 

 18, small birds ; 14, poultry; 3, insects; 3, snakes; and 4, offal or carrion. 

 He says : " I have repeatedly found three and four mice in the viscera 

 of one bird, oftentimes five, and in a few instances as many as seven of 

 these destructive little rodents were obtained from the crop and stomach 

 of one hawk." (Birds of Pennsylvania, 1888, p. 86.) 

 7626— No. 3 4 



