NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 175 



The nesting of the Red-shouldered Hawk is very much the same 

 as that of the Red-tail, but in many sections it seems to have a prefer- 

 ence for lower woods, in bottom lands. The nest is said not to be so 

 long re-occupied by the birds. The eggs are usually deposited in April 

 or May. The number of eggs is three or four, sometimes only two. 

 The ground color is bluish, yellowish-white, or brownish, spotted, 

 blotched and dotted irregularly with many shades of reddish-brown ; 

 they are usually more highly colored than the eggs of the Red-tail. 

 Some of them are exceedingly handsome. 



A series of sixty-one sets are in Mr. Norris' cabinet, nearly all of 

 which were collected by the celebrated oologist, " J. M. W.," (C. L,. 

 Rawson) ; they show a wonderful variation in size and markings, rang- 

 ing from almost unmarked to very heavily spotted and blotched speci- 

 mens. To describe all the shades of reds and browns, which comprise 

 the variation, would be an almost endless task, and a large series like 

 this must be seen in order to appreciate how much the eggs of this 

 species vary. The sizes range from 2.00 to 2.30 long by 1.65 to 1.75 



broad. 



339a. Buteo lineatus aUeni Ridgw. 



Florida Red-shouldered Ha-nrk. 



Hab. Florida, Texas. 



In Texas Mr. Singley found this bird breeding in the densely 

 wooded bottom lands, in tall pin oaks that border the streams. He 

 states that the nest is placed on the large limbs of the trees, and is 

 constructed of large and small sticks, weeds and moss; sometimes it is 

 beautifully decorated with Spanish moss. A few of the birds prefer 

 the uplands for a breeding place, and select pin oaks and hickory trees 

 in the neighborhood of streams. Mr. Singley says this Hawk has 

 the peculiar habit of placing green leaves in the nest. Sometimes the 

 leaves are bruised and often stain the eggs, and by the time incubation 

 is well advanced the nest is half full of the leaves. 



Nest building commences about the middle of March, and fresh 

 sets of eggs may be found until the middle of April. Two or three 

 eggs are laid. Mr. Norris has seven sets collected by Mr. Singley in 

 Lee county, Texas. Their ground-color is dull white or bluish-white 

 and they vary from almost entirely unmarked to heavily blotched, 

 spotted and speckled with red, lilac and rich reddish-brown. They 

 vary in size from 1.96 to 2.19 long by 1.67 to 1.73 broad. 



3395. Buteo lineatus elegans (Cass.) [439'^-] 



Red-bellied Ha-nrk. 



Hab. Pacific coast of the United States, south into Mexico. 



This western race, whose whole under plumage is of a rich dark 



