THE SHAKP-SHINNED HAWK. 191 



The usual number of eggs laid by the Sharp-shinned Hawk is four or five ; 

 larger sets are rare. Mr. C. L. Rawson, of Norwich, Connecticut, took a set of 

 seven on June 1, 1881. Aside from the unusually large number of eggs, the 

 situation of the nest from which they were taken was also rather remarkable, 

 being placed in a low pine, only 10 feet from the ground. 



The eggs are laid at intervals of one and two days, and incubation does 

 not commence till the set is complete ; the female guarding her nest constantly, 

 however. Incubation lasts probably about three weeks, and the male does not 

 appear to assist in this duty, but supplies the food for his mate during the time. 

 The young, when first hatched, are covered with white down and grow rapidly. 

 But one brood is raised in a season. 



The shape of these eggs is nearly a perfect oval; an occasional specimen 

 may be called short ovate. The ground color is usually a pale bluish or 

 greenish white, which fades with age into a dull gray white. In a few sj)eci- 

 mens the ground color is almost completely hidden by confluent markings 

 of cinnamon-rufous. 



The eggs are mostly heavily blotched, spotted, and marbled with various 

 shades of brown, the darker of these tints predominating; these are again 

 mixed with different shades of drab, fawn color, lavender, and clay color. 

 The different patterns of markings are endless in variety, in some specimens 

 they are heaviest on the larger, in others the smaller end; in a few they are 

 disposed in the shape of a wreath in the center, leaving both ends of the 

 egg nearly unspotted. In others, again, they are pretty evenly distributed 

 over the entire egg, and a few are almost unspotted. Finally, in some speci- 

 mens, the markings run into each other, giving the egg a clouded appearance. 



The average size of fifty specimens in the U. S. National Museum col- 

 lection is 37 by 30.5 millimetres. The largest egg measures 39 by 32, the 

 smallest 35 by 29 millimetres. 



Of the type specimens, No. 20675 (PL 5, Fig. 11), selected from a set of 

 three eggs, was taken in Massachusetts, May 29, 1875; No. 20677 (PI. 5, Fig. 

 12), from a set of four, taken June 1, 1878, near Eastford, Connecticut; No. 

 20679 (PI. 5, Fig. 13), from a set of five, taken at Fort Klamath, Oregon, May 

 18, 1883; No. 20680 (PI. 5, Fig. 14), taken May, 1879, at Blue Ridge, Pennsyl- 

 vania; all from the Bendire collection. No. 21042 (PI. 5, Fig. 15), from an 

 incomplete set of two, taken near Edinburg, Texas, in 1878, from the Merrill 

 collection. No. 22812 (PI. 5, Fig. 16), from a set of four, taken near Red- 

 ding, California, by Mr. L. W. Green, May, 1886; and No. 23566 (PL 5, 

 Fig. 17), from a set of three taken by Mr. Charles F. Morrison, near Fort 

 Lewis, Colorado, June 22, 1886. 



