FALCO PEREGRINUS : DUCK HAWK. I 1 3 



" Although the Duck Hawk has been long known to 

 breed at the localities in Massachusetts mentioned above 

 [Mounts Tom and Holyoke], those conversant with the 

 fact were not aware that any special interest was attached 

 to it, or that its eggs and breeding-habits were very little 

 known to ornithologists ; and so, until very recently, no 

 particular efforts have been made to procure the eggs. 

 Mr. Bennett, becoming aware of this, resolved to pro- 

 cure the eggs. He accordingly visited Mount Tom 

 for this purpose, April 6th of the present year [1864], 

 when he searched the whole ridge of the mountain, dis- 

 covered the old birds and the particular part they most 

 frequented, and also the site of a nest, where the young 

 had been raised. The old birds were continually near 

 this spot, and manifested much solicitude when it was ap- 

 proached, often flying within six or eight rods, and once 

 the female came within three, screaming and thrusting 

 out her talons, with an expression of great rage and 

 fierceness. The birds did not appear at all shy, being 

 easily approached quite nearly, though, in walking, the 

 cracking of sticks and the clinking of splinters of trap- 

 rock made no little noise. One of the birds appeared to 

 keep close to the eyrie, and both would approach when- 

 ever it was visited, screaming at and menacing the in- 

 truder, notwithstanding that at that time there were no 

 eggs. Mr. Bennett, suspecting that incubation had com- 

 menced, visited the locality again on the 9th, but only 

 saw the old nest, the birds behaving as before. Ten days 

 later he made another visit, and, creeping carefully to the 

 summit of the cliff, at a point near the eyrie already 

 spoken of, he saw the female, on looking over the cliff, 

 sitting on the nest, and but five or six yards distant. 

 She eyed him fiercely for an instant, and then, scrambling 



