78 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



can reiterate instances of where he or she was the victim of pillage by 

 this bold and audacious marauder. In the spring of '78 a friend pre- 

 sented me with a Cooper's Hawk which he had caught in a steel trap, 

 but not until he and his mate had destroyed some fifty young chickens. 

 During one day they killed twelve. "This marauder sometimes 

 attacks birds far superior to itself in weight, and sometimes possessed 

 of a courage and strength equal to its own. As I was one morning 

 observing the motions of some Parakeets, near Bayou Sara, in Louisi- 

 ana, in the month of November, I heard a Cock crowing not far from 

 me and in sight of a farm-house. The Hawk next moment flew past 

 me, and so close that I might have touched it with the barrel of my 

 gun had I been prepared. Not more than a few seconds elapsed before 

 I heard the cackling of the hens and the war cry of the Cock, and at 

 the same time observed the Hawk rising, as if without effort, a few 

 yards in the air, and again falling toward the ground with the rapidity 

 of lightning. I proceeded to the spot and found the Hawk grappled 

 to the body of the Cock, both tumbling over and over, and paying no 

 attention to me as I approached. Desirous of seeing the result, I re- 

 mained still until, perceiving that the Hawk had given a fatal squeeze 

 to the brave Cock, I ran to secure the former ; but the marauder had 

 kept a Hawk's eye upon me, and, disengaging himself, rose in the air 

 in full confidence. The next moment I pulled trigger and he fell 

 dead to the ground." Audubon. 



Like the Sparrow Hawk this bird has been tamed to come at call. 



Nidification commonly is begun about the 20th of April, and lasts 

 for a period of from three to five days. Occasionally this bird will 

 deposit its eggs in a deserted crow's nest. Gentry, in his u Life 

 Histories of Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania," mentions an instance of 

 where the new-formed nest of the crow was taken after having driven 

 its rightful occupants away. I believe, however, they prefer to erect 

 their own nests, and, from my observation, am quite positive they 

 only appropriate the nests of other birds when their own have been 

 destroyed. Gentry observes, " in cases where other nests are occu- 

 pied, it is mainly done by young birds, or those of indolent habits." 

 The building of the nest is the conjoint labor of both birds. It is 

 usually built in a thick woods. When in such a locality is mostly low 

 down, yet, when, as is occasionally the case, an isolated tree is se- 

 lected as the nesting site, it is frequently so placed as to render it 

 inaccessible to all advances of the oologist. Externally the nest is 

 built of sticks, varying much in size. It is generally lined with the 

 inner layer of bark, although, frequently, blades of grass, feathers, and 

 leaves enter into the constrnction of the interior. While certain 

 writers have described the nest as broad, with but a slight concavity, 

 I would remark that such statement is not in accord with my obser- 



