34 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



from various towns and villages show that the habit of visiting such 

 places for the sparrow is becoming common. 



The following species of birds were positively identified among the 

 stomach contents : 



Callipepla gambell. Dendroica maculosa. 



Zenaidura macroura. Dendroica virens. 



Dryobates pubescens. Dendroica coronata. 



Colaptes cafer. Dendroica castanea. 



Colaptes auratus. Dendroica striata. 



Chcetura pelagica. Dendroica vigorsii. 



Molothrus ater. Seiurus aurocapillus. 



Icterus spurius. Geothlypis trichas. 



Quiscalus quiscula. Sylvania pusilla. 



Carpodacus m. frontalis. Sylvania p. p'ileolata. 



Spinus tristis. Sylvania canadensis. 



Ammodramus s. savanna. Mimus polyglottos. 



Ammodramus s. alaudinus. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. 



Zonotrichla albicollis. Harporliynchus crissalis. 



Spizella pusilla. Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus. 



Spizella socialis. Thryothorus ludovicianus. 



Spizella monticola. Sitta canadensis. 



Junco ny emails. Parus atricaplllus. 



Melospiza fasciata. Begulus calendula. 



Passerella iliaca. Turdus alicice. 



Passer domestlcus. Turdus aonalaschkw pallasil. 



Pipllo abertl. Merula mlgratoria. 



Vireo olivaceus. Sialia slalls. 



This little Hawk is one of the latest to commence nesting, laying its 

 eggs when most of the other species have half- grown young. North 

 of parallel 40° full complements of eggs are not found until the latter 

 part of May, and early in June sets are often taken which are only 

 slightly incubated. The nest, which is situated usually in a dense 

 hemlock or other conifer, though occasionally in a deciduous tree, is 

 rarely at any considerable height from the ground, 20 feet being a fair 

 average. The bird is said to build sometimes in the crevices of cliffs or 

 hollows of trees, but these sites must be considered exceptional. The 

 nest is a large structure in proportion to the size of the bird, and is 

 made of dry sticks more or less compactly placed together, with or 

 without a sparse lining of soft inner bark or green leaves. It does not 

 always construct its own nest, for it sometimes remodels the old nest of 

 the crow, magpie, or even squirrel. The eggs are four or five in num- 

 ber, and are usually deposited on alternate days, though occasionally 

 only on every third day. Among the Restores the nest of this species 

 is one of the easiest to find, as the parents invariably commence scolding 

 as soon as an intruder enters their domain, even when the nest is being 

 constructed. 



The flight of the Sharp-shinned Hawk is swift, but irregular, often 

 protracted, and is identical in character with that of the two following 

 species. At times it passes rapidly along the fence rows or darts in 



