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The female Goss Hawk which I am to send you has used 
the same nest for sever,,! years. The nest was within twenty rods 
of a wood road, house and blacksmith shop. At least ten of the 
birds have been taken near this spot within a few years. I am 
certain that the same nember of birds have nested near the same 
place for a number of years. The nest of the bird sent you was 
m a white birch. I saw a Goss Hawk this fall in which the blue 
eye was changing to yellow, so I find that the eye is first blue, 
then goes through all the shades to clear straw yellow, then from 
yellow to deep red, being first reaoish yellow, then yellowish red, 
then pink and finally deep red. 1 have examined probably 
thirty specimens in all. 
A man who works for me shot a larp' female >&&& Hawk on 
•Tune 5th and sent it to me. I saw at once that it was nesting, 
and asking him about it, found that he had discovered the nest 
m a birch last winter. Visiting this nest June 5th he shot this 
female, the oply old bird which he saw about. The nest contained 
1 
a single young bird, nothing else. I got the latter yesterday 
and mounted it today. It was about 13 inches long, covered with 
down excepting the primaries and second nes. The tail feathers 
are partly grown. The eyes were pale blue. It screamed very 
much as the old bird does. I think that these birds have nested 
at least for a year m this place. 
Ifanley Hardy, Letter of June I8th,I887. 
