92 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OP THE UNITED STATES. 



breeds regularly from Colorado, Kansas, aud I^Tebraska northward; 

 south of this region there seems to be no positive record of its nesting. 



The food of this Hawk consists almost exclusively of small mammals 

 and reptiles, and, like the Eough-leg, never attacks birds. Dr. J. G. 

 Cooper, as quoted in History of North American Birds (vol. iii, p. 303), 

 says: "It rarely, if ever, attacks poultry, and limits its prey to wild 

 animals, and is therefore a decided friend to the farmer." 



Mr. H. W. Henshaw says of its food : " Their prey consists princi 

 pally of the small mammals — mice and ground squirrels — to secure 

 which they fly a few feet from the ground." (Bxplor. West of the 

 100th Merid., Wheeler, vol. v, 1875, p. 425.) 



Dr, Coues gives the following: " In the stomachs of those examined 

 I found the remains of burrowing pouched rats {Thomomys fulvus, 

 Woodh.), the western wood mouse [Hesperomys leuoopus var. sonoriensis), 

 kangaroo-mice {Dipodomys ordii), and some Arvicolce I could not iden- 

 tify. I was never before aware of the latter in this locality [Ft. Whipple, 

 Ariz.], and would remark, in passing, how often small mammals, rep- 

 tiles, and insects, which might long remain undetected, owing to their 

 rarity or insignificance, are found in the stomachs of rapacious birds. 

 * * * This bird is known as the ' California Squirrel Hawk ' in some 

 localities, but it is not to be inferred that they often capture the agile 

 arboreal Sckiri. The name is gained from their feeding extensively, in 

 California, upon the 'ground squirrels' {SpermopMlus heecheyi), which 

 abound in many parts of that State. The Hawks are almost always, 

 too, observed in the vicinity of the settlements of the Spermophili^ 

 standing on the ground where there are no trees, or flying low over the 

 surface, in either case on the alert to seize any unlucky animal that 

 may venture too far from home." (Birds of the Northwest, 1 874, p. 366.) 



Thus it will be seen that th is species is harmless and very beneficial 

 and hence should be protected by all agriculturists throughout the 

 country it inhabits. 



The nest is usually built in a tree at no great distance above the 

 ground, but when trees are not available it is placed on the shelves of 

 some of the earth cliffs which abound in certain parts of the West. 

 Like that of the other larger hawks, it is composed of good-sized 

 sticks and coarse herbage of one kind or another, and is lined with 

 softer material than the bulk of the structure is composed of. When 

 such things existed on the plains, the ribs and smaller bones of the 

 buffalo were used in the construction of the nest, often forming a large 

 part of it. The eggs, which are usually three or four in number, are 

 deposited early in May, and by the middle of July the young are ready 

 to leave the nest. 



The Squirrel Hawk is preeminently a bird of the prairie, and, unlike 

 the common Rough-leg, shows little partiality to tjie vicinity of water 

 though in other respects it closely resembles the latter bird in habits! 

 When this hawk is hunting its flight appears labored aud heavy, but 



