462 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



Red-tailed Hawk. 



tarsus partly covered by feathers and the entire absence of any tinge 

 of red on the shoulder or upper wing coverts should aid in distinguish- 

 ing it from other eastern species. 



The nest is large, built in a tree, and composed of sticks, twigs, 

 moss, and leaves. The eggs are usually three, dull white, sometimes 

 with a faint wash of pale brown and occasionally blotched and marked 

 with cinnamon brown. They measure about 2.40 x 1.95 inches. 



Nidification usually commences in March in this latitude, although 

 nests are found in April. There is a set of 3 eggs in the Field Museum 

 collection taken at Grinnell, Iowa, May 3, 1893. Mr. Isaac E. Hess 

 informs me he has in his collection seven sets of two eggs and one of 

 three eggs taken near Philo, Champaign Co., Illinois. 



According to Dr. H. K. Fisher, in 562 stomachs of this species 

 examined by him, 54 contained poultry or game birds ; 5 1 , other birds ; 

 278, mice; 131, other mammals ; 37, batrachians or reptiles ; 47, insects; 

 8, crawfish; i, centipede; 13, offal, and 89 were empty. 



158a. Buteo borealis kriderii Hoopes. 

 Krider's Red-tailed Hawk. 



Distr. : Ranges from Wyoming, Dakota, and Minnesota to Texas ; 

 casual in Iowa and Illinois. 



Differs from B. borealis in being much paler, and showing more 



