RED-SHOULDERED BUZZARD. 41 



the open grounds, and about the vicinity of small lakes, for the purpose of 

 securing Red-winged Starlings and wounded Ducks. 



The interior of woods seems, as I have said, the fittest haunts for the Red- 

 shouldered Hawk. He sails through them a few yards above the ground, 

 and suddenly alights on the low branch of a tree, or the top of a dead stump, 

 from which he silently watches, in an erect posture, for the appearance of 

 squirrels, upon which he pounces directly and kills them in an instant, after- 

 wards devouring them on the ground. If accidentally discovered, he essays 

 to remove the squirrel, but finding this difficult, he drags it partly through 

 the air and partly along the ground, to some short distance, until he con- 

 ceives himself out of sight of the intruder, when he again commences feeding. 

 The eating of a whole squirrel, which this bird often devours at one meal, so 

 gorges it, that I have seen it in this state almost unable to fly, and with such 

 an extraordinary protuberance on its breast as seemed very unnatural, and 

 very injurious to the beauty of form which the bird usually displays. On all 

 occasions, such as I have described, when the bird is so gorged, it is ap- 

 proached with the greatest ease. On the contrary, when it is in want of 

 food, it requires the greatest caution to get within shooting distance of it. 



At the approach of spring, this species begins to pair, and its flight is ac- 

 companied with many circlings and zigzag motions, during which it emits its 

 shrill cries. The male is particularly noisy at this time. He gives chase to 

 all other Hawks, returns to the branch on which his mate has chanced to 

 perch, and caresses her. This happens about the beginning of March. The 

 spot adapted for a nest is already fixed upon, and the fabric is half finished. 

 The top of a tall tree appears to be preferred by this Hawk, as I have found 

 its nest more commonly placed there, not far from the edges of woods bor- 

 dering plantations. The nest is seated in the forks of a large branch, to- 

 wards its extremity, and is as bulky as that of the Common Crow. It is 

 formed externally of dry sticks and Spanish moss, and is lined with withered 

 grass and fibrous roots of different sorts, arranged in a circular manner. The 

 female usually lays four eggs, sometimes five. They are of a broad oval 

 form, granulated all over, pale blue, faintly blotched with brownish-red at 

 the smaller end. 



When one ascends to the nest, which, by the way, is not always an easy 

 matter, as some of our trees are not only very smooth, but frequently with- 

 out any boughs to a considerable distance from the ground, as well as of 

 rather large size, the female bird, if she happens to be sitting, flies off silently 

 and alights on a neighbouring tree, to wait the result. But, should the male, 

 who supplies her with food, and assists in incubation, be there, or make his 

 appearance, he immediately sets up a hue and cry, and plunges towards the 

 assailant with such violence as to astonish him. When, on several occasions, 



Vol. I. 6 



