BIRDS OF THE CAMBRIDGE REGION. 183 



more that I spent watching them the male was busily engaged in collecting dry 

 grass and flying with it to the nest. He obtained most of it within thirty yards 

 of the island, and none of his flights exceeded one hundred yards in length. 

 The female, meanwhile, sat perched on the top of a stake, encouraging her mate 

 by her voice but taking absolutely no part in his labors, although she once made 

 a brief visit to the nest, apparently merely to see how the work was progressing 

 there. At length the male soared up into the sky and was soon lost to sight in 

 the distance. The female remained and, when I approached the island, circled 

 close about me, squealing loudly. The nest, which proved to be nearly finished, 

 was placed on the ground at the foot of a cluster of bushes. It was a primitive 

 structure, large, almost perfectly flat, and composed of dead sticks covered with 

 a thick layer of dry grass. 



I have seen Marsh Hawks at Rock Meadow on several occasions in early 

 summer since 1879, but I doubt if they have bred there within the past ten or 

 fifteen years. They still occur commonly enough during migration about most 

 of the meadows near Cambridge, but their numbers here, as elsewhere in New 

 England, have been steadily decreasing of late. 



80. Accipiter velox (Wils.). 

 Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



Common transient visitor in spring and autumn and not uncommon winter resident ; also 

 an occasional summer resident, at least formerly. 



SEASONAL OCCURRENCE. 



Aprils — May II. (Summer.) 

 September 7 — October 25. ( Winter.) 



NESTING DATES. 



May 20 — 31. 



The Sharp-shinned Hawk is one of the most familiar and least shy of our 

 diurnal birds of prey. It has been repeatedly observed in the very heart of 

 Cambridge, especially since House Sparrows became abundant there. A bird 

 paid several visits to our garden during the winter of 1898- 1899, and others 

 have been seen within the past few years in or near the College Grounds, usually 

 in late autumn or winter. The species is met with oftenest, however, during 



