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 its 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 
