50 
BIRDS OF PREY. 
species. Audubon considers it by no means a rare species 
in Virginia, Maryland, and all the States to the eastward of 
these. Its usual prey is small birds,- very young poultry, small 
quadrupeds, and insects. 
The Broad-wing occurs throughout this eastern faunal province, 
but is somewhat local in distribution. In portions of the Maritime 
Provinces it is abundant, tliough in general it is ratlier uncommon. 
Mr. John Neilson considers it common near the city of Quebec, but 
Mr. Ernest Wintle reports it rare at Montreal, while Mr. William 
L. Scott thinks it the commonest Hawk in the Ottawa valley. Mr. 
Thomas Mcllwraith gives it as a “ casual visitor ” to the southern 
portions of Ontario, and Mr. Ernest Thompson found it abundant 
in the Muskoka district. Thompson also reports it common in 
Manitoba. 
In the more northern portions of New England it is a fairly 
common summer visitor, while it is found in Massachusetts and 
Connecticut throughout the year, but is rather rare. It occurs 
also in more or less abundance in all the Middle, Western, and 
Southern States. 
My observations in New Brunswick have led me to form a dif- 
ferent opinion of the characteristics of this Hawk from those 
expressed by several writers. The examples I met with were not 
peculiarly void of either boldness or vigor in pursuit of their prey, 
nor peculiarly spiritless w'hen wounded. They did, of course, like 
others of the tribe, pursue weak prey, and displayed little true 
bravery; but bravery is not a characteristic of the Hawks. A 
wounded Broad-wing, however, acts just as does the boldest of 
them, — he turns on his back and hits out with claws, beak, and 
wings ; and the gunner who thinks lie has a meek or spiritless bird 
to handle may regret the thought. 
SHORT-TAILED HAWK. 
Buteo br.\chyurus. 
Char. Above, brownish black or blackish brown ; forehead and cheeks 
white ; tail brownish gray barred with black and tipped with white ; 
beneath, pure white, a patch of rufous ou side of chest. Length l6 
inches. 
Nest. In a tall tree ; made of dry twigs, lined with fresh twigs of 
cypress. 
Eggs. 1-3 ; dull white, spotted on large end with reddish brown. 
