;04 NESTS AND EOOS OF 



' <t. 

 took a set of three eggs June 22 from a dilapidated Magpie's nest, the arched roof of 

 which had fallen in, and formed a hollow, which was lined wttji a few feathers 

 upon some dead leaves, i he Marsh Hawk and the present species deposit their eggs 

 when other Hawks are. nearly through breeding. The Sharp-shinned Ifawk's eggs 

 may be found in the first week of April and as late as the last week of June'; the birds 

 seldom occupy a nest tiie second time. Mr. Crandall's oological collection coi^sists 

 of thirty-eight eggs, two sets of five and seven seis of four, and have an average 

 measurement of 1.47x1.20 inches. Mr. J. Parker Norris has a large series of these 

 eggs in his collection, consisting of seventeen sets, ranging in number from three 

 to five, and onecontaining the unusual number of seven eggs; the dates on which they 

 were taken are from April 11 to June 26. Most of these eggs were collected by the 

 experienced oologist, "J. M. W.," Mr. C. L. Rawson, of Norwich, Conn. Mr. Norris 

 also describes seventeen eggs which were laid in succession by a single bird between 

 May 23 and June 25. The eggs of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Mr. Norris states, are 

 subject to great variation in markings, and yet, as a rule, they can be identified at 

 a glance. With the exception of the Sparrow Hawk, Tinnvitcnhis sparverius, they 

 are the smallest laid by any of the hawks found in North America, and among the 

 most beautiful eggs of any of the Raptnres. Their ground color varies from bluish- 

 white to grayish-white, spotted^ blotched, speckled, streaked and clouded with light 

 fawn color, burnt umber, chestnut, lavender-gray, chocolate, russet-brown and 

 cinnamon, exhibiting an endless variety of bold and indistinct patterns of coloration 

 and design. The usual form of the egg is spherical, of nearly equal size at both ends. 

 The average size is 1.50x1.16. 



333. COOPER'S HA'WK. Accipitrr ronperii (Bonap.) Geog. Dist. — North 

 America at large; greater portion of Mexico. 



Distributed throughout temperate North America at large as a summer resident, 

 and well known to the farmers by the name of Chicken Hawk. Its flight is easy 

 and usually slow, but the bird is quick in its movements, its long tail serving the 

 purpose of a rudder as it suddenly pounces upon the object of its pursuit or quickly 

 ascends into the air. This and the last species are perhaps the boldest depredators 

 of the family. They are shy and difficult of approach, yet their imprudence often 

 proves fatal to them. They do not hesitate to attack chickens in the presence of 

 their owners; they also feed largely upon small quadrupeds, weasles, squirrels and 

 young rabbits; snakes and reptiles are among their victims. A specimen of this 

 bird is in my collection which was killed by a weasel in mid air, the weasel sucking 

 the blood of the hawk, while the bird was struggling with its intended victim, which 

 escaped unharmed. The nests of Cooper's Hawk are usually placed in tall trees, 

 from ten to fifty feet from the ground; frequently an old crow's or some other 

 hawk's nest is fitted up for the purpose, which is occupied for a succession of years, 

 and the nests are often so augmented by the continuous adding of brush and rubbish 

 that they become huge structures. May 15, 1880, a collector brought me a set of four 

 eggs taken from an old squirrel's nest. Mr. L. .Tones, of Grinnell, Iowa, writes that 

 this Hawk deposits its eggs in that region about the first of May. The number of 

 eggs laid ranges from four to six, rarely the latter number, and they may be found 

 in various sections between April 1 and May 20. The eggs are of a pale-bluish or 

 greenish-white, usually spotted with pale reddish-brown. The average size is 1.97x 

 1.42 inches. A set of four eggs from Southern Arizona, taken May 15. measure 

 1.90x1.40, 1.95x1.42, 1 92x1,40, 1.90x1.42; another set of four collected in Central Ohio, 

 April 9, measure 1.89x1.40, 1.92x1.45, 1.93x1.40, 1.90x1.42. 



