THE AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 401 



undergrowth, arresting its flight instantly, and darting off, perhaps at a right 

 angle the next second to capture its intended victim." 



In the woods the Cooper Hawk resents intrusion and advertises your 

 presence by an irritated kek^ kek, kek, kek, delivered from some safe 

 distance. This sound is also indicative of the vicinity of a nest, present or 

 intended. In this state the birds almost invariably select a beech tree for 

 a nesting site, and place a large and orderly platform of sticks and twigs 

 at a point where the major limbs diverge, or else where some horizontal 

 support is offered. Old Crow's nests and even deserted sites of Buteos 

 are occasionally used, but generally the bird does for itself, either repairing 

 the old nest year by year, or else building a new one in the immediate neigh- 

 borhood. 



The Cooper Hawk is rather a late nester for a Hawk, but fresh eggs 

 may be found the first week in May. The female performs most of the duties 

 of incubation, which lasts about twenty-four days, but the male supplies her 

 with food. Both birds are unusually courageous in defense of their nest, and 

 an unguarded climber may receive injury at their hands. 



Young Cooper Hawks are said to make very docile and interesting pets. 

 Dr. Jones tells of one which he raised from the nest and which, altho allowed 

 perfect freedom, "was very fond of buggy riding, and would sit on the dash- 

 board for hours, manifesting the greatest interest in the objects passed." . 



No. 179. 



AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 



A. O. U. No. 334. Accipiter atricapillus (Wils.). 



Synonym, — BivUE Hen Hawk. 



Description. — Adult: Above slate-gray with darker shaft-lines; darker, 

 almost black on head; white lines over and behind eye loosely connected by ill- 

 concealed basal white of cervical feathers; auriculars blackish; tail with four 

 dusky bands, plain, or almost obsolete ; inner webs of wing-quills mottled, — ^dusky 

 and whitish; entire under parts white, finely and heavily marbled with slaty 

 gray, in fine wavy or zigzag lines, falling into fine bars on flanks and tibiae, 

 with blackish shaft-lines on throat and breast; iris light yellow; bill dark blue; 

 feet yellow, claws black. Immature : Following the usual Accipiter fashion ; 

 above dark brown, spotted with buff and whitish and margined with rusty; tail 

 with narrow white tip and four distinct dusky bands; below whitish or buffy, 

 striped narrowly with dark brown, — the markings guttate on belly, broader on 

 sides and flanks. Adult male length about 22.00 (558.8) ; wing 12.00-13.50 

 (304.8-342.9),; tail 9.50-10.50 (241.3-266.7); bill from nostril .75 (19. i). Adult 

 female length about 24.00 (609.6); wing 13.25-14.25 (336.6-632.); tail 11.00- 

 12.50 (279.4-217.5). 



