38 BIEDS OF ABKANSAS. 



there during most of November and one was seen on February 2 

 (1911). This is one of the few hawks which can be classed as decid- 

 edly harmful, since its food consists largely of wild birds and young 

 poultry, varied occasionally with mice, insects, or small reptiles. 

 Cooper Hawk. Acdpiter cooperi. 



The Cooper hawk resembles the sharpshln in general appearance, 

 but is much larger. It is generally distributed in North America, 

 and is not uncommon in Arkansas. Savage collected a specimen at 

 Delight, September 25, 1910, and observed the species frequently 

 in January. Hanna saw the bird twice in December in the hills 

 near Van Buren. It occurs locally in summer, but the only record 

 at that season is from Dehght, where Savage collected a set of four 

 eggs May 4, 1911. This bird is a swift and fearless hunter and is 

 responsible for a good share of the damage to poultry attributed to 

 the larger hawks. Its food consists almost entirely of wild birds 

 and poultry, but occasionally it captures small mammals, reptiles, 

 batrachians, and insects. 



Bed-tailed Hawk. Buteo borealis. 



The redtail occurs as a rare breeder and a fairly common winter 

 resident. It was reported to be a tolerably common summer resi- 

 dent at Newport in 1884 and at Clinton in 1890. One was seen 

 at FayetteviUe September 29, 1892 (Preble), and the species was 

 reported common in winter in the vicinity of Stuttgart (Hollister) 

 and Van Buren (Hanna). McAtee observed one each near Forrest 

 City, Turrell, and Menasha Lake in November, 1910. This is one 

 of the larger hawks and shares with several other species the name 

 "hen hawk." Careful study of its food habits by the Biological 

 Survey has shown that the bird does not merit the title, since mice 

 and other injurious rodents constitute fully four-fifths of its food 

 and poultry (including game birds) only one-tenth. So great is the 

 prejudice against aU large hawks, however, that they are subjected 

 to constant persecution by farmers and hunters, with the result 

 that this species, with others, in many sections has become very 



scarce. 



[Harlan Hawk. Buteo borealis harlani. 



This dark form of the red-tailed hawk is supposed to be an inhabitant of the lower 

 Mississippi Valley, but its status as a recognizable subspecies is open to doubt. Hol- 

 lister records it as fairly common in winter on the Grand Prairie around Stuttgart, 

 where he shot typical specimens.] ' 



Red-shouldered Ha'wk. Buteo lineatus. 



The red-shouldered hawk is a resident of the swamps and river- 

 bottom woods throughout the State, and in such situations its shrill 

 cries may frequently be heard. I found it conunon almost every- 

 where in eastern Arkansas, but did not observe any in the moun- 



1 Wilson Bull., IX, p. 13, 1902. 



