222 LIFE HISTORIES OP NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



tree and as regards its component parts. Some nests are almost entirely- 

 constructed of pine or hemlock twigs, both green and dry, and lined with 

 leaves of the pine, moss, lichens, bits of bark or corn husks, besides the 

 materials already mentioned. They nest later than the Red-tails and build 

 new nests more frequently than does that species. 



They are certainly the most prolific of the Buteos; sets of four eggs 

 are not at all rare, others of five and even six eggs are occasionally found. 

 The late Dr. William Wood, of East Windsor Hill, Connecticut, records 

 having taken a set of six, and Mr. R. B. McLaughlin, of Statesville, North 

 Carolina, writes me that he took a set of six eggs of this Hawk on April 5, 

 1889. He says: "I saw these birds at work on the nest early in March; it 

 was an old one remodeled, and was placed in the crotch of a good sized 

 pine. I expected to find eggs in it much sooner than I did. Incubation 

 had just commenced. The eggs were of the usual size, without any per- 

 ceptible variation either in shape or size. There was considerable difference 

 in their markings, however, but no greater than sometimes occurs in sets of 

 three." 



The Red-shouldered Hawk is far more common in the lowlands than in 

 the mountain regions, in parts of which it seems to be entirely absent. It 

 prefers the borders of streams, lakes or swampy woods for a permanent res- 

 idence. Its flight is easy and graceful, and it is seen on the wing mostly in 

 the early and late hours of the day. Like the Red-tail, each of these birds 

 has its favorite perch on a dead limb of some tall tree on the outskirts of a 

 piece of woods, from which it can obtain a good view of the surrounding 

 country; this it occupies for hours at a time when not disturbed. 



According to Dr. Ralph "its call notes consist of a loud whistle-like 

 sound, which resembles the syllables 'whee-ee-e,' with once in awhile a 'ca-ac' 

 added to or rather mixed with it." The full-grown young after having left 

 the nest, and when still depending on the parents for food, utter frequently, 

 according to my observations, a call sounding, as near as I can interpret it, 

 like "yeeh-ack, yeeh-hack," rapidly repeated. A note uttered in the early 

 spring, especially during the mating season, sounds like "ke^-yooh, ke^-yooh," 

 the last syllable drawn out. 



Incubation sometimes begins with the first egg laid, young birds of dif- 

 ferent sizes being frequently found in the same nest, and this difference is 

 too great to attribute to sex alone. Mr. Austin F. Park, of Troy, New York, 

 writes me on this subject as follows: "On June 4 and June 11, 1888, I re- 

 ceived three young Red-shouldered Hawks in the down, all taken from the 

 same nest. These birds varied greatly in size. I kept the three chicks, fed 

 them well, and noted the rates of growth of the wing and tail quills. I 

 estimated from the length of these that there was about four days' difference 

 in the stages of growth. Further experiments with others confirmed this 

 opinion." 



