The Sparrow Hawk. 
( Tinnunculus sparverius.) 
This handsome little Hawk is abundant 
; and breeds plentifully in old decayed 
stumps and trunks of trees, generally in 
some deserted Flicker’s hole. I have taken 
a large number of their eggs this year. 
From one nest I obtained seven eggs at 
different times, although the complete 
clutch consists as a rule of four. On May 
29th I found the above mentioned nest in 
the decayed trunk of a cottonwood tree so 
badly decayed that I could not trust to 
climbing, so I pushed it over, letting it 
fall against a clump of birches where it 
remained standing at an angle of forty de- 
grees from its original position, where I 
could easily reach the nest. The eggs, of 
which there were three, were laid in the 
| hole of a Red-shafted Flicker, ( Colaptes 
{ auratus mexicanus), upon the chips left 
I by the former occupant. I took these eggs 
j and on the 1st of June visited the nest 
| again and found another egg, which I took. 
On June 7tli, finding the birds were still 
J in the vicinity, I climbed to the nest once 
more and to my surprise found the female 
on, nor would she move for me, but kept 
her head buried in her breast. Being 
greatly surprised and somewhat taken 
aback by such actions, I wrapped my 
handkerchief about my hand, and after 
turning her over in the nest, pulled her 
legs through and transferred the handker- 
chief to the legs of the bird, tying it in a 
knot, then I drew her through and found 
three more eggs. On reaching the ground 
I examined my bird and, sorry to relate, I 
had broken the eighth egg in the bird, 
| which of course accounted for her staying 
on the nest so long. The eggs of this bird 
vary greatly both in color and shape. In 
most specimens the ground color seems to 
be white, more or less spotted and blotched 
with burnt umber, this color completely 
covering one end, but it seems immaterial 
to the bird which end. In other specimens 
the burnt umber entirely covers the ground 
color. Even the eggs of the same clutch 
show a great difference in markings. Some 
eggs are nearly spherical, others are elon- 
gated and pointed. — Cha ^ 
Fort McKinney, Wyo. Ter. /% gy] p.m . 
The Eggs of the Sparrow Hawk. 
In 1857, when Dr. Brewer published the first 
(and only) part of liis Forth American Oology he 
gave figures of four -eggs of the Sparrow Hawk 
{Tinnunculus sparverius ,) which are comparative- 
ly very little spotted. One of them (represented 
in Plate II, figure 15a,) he calls especial attention 
to “on account of its well-defined markings, and 
the unusual depth and distinctness of the colors.” 
This is a very curious statement, as the egg in 
question has not a tenth part of the quantity of 
markings which are quite common on the eggs of 
this bird. Out of a large series before the present 
writer, three-fourths of them exhibit much richer 
and heavier coloring. Especially is this the case 
with a number of those eggs which come from 
California. Many of them are so heavily marked 
with reddish that the whole of the larger end is 
covered, while in others the markings form a 
belt or zone which is sometimes around the 
smaller end, but generally near the greater. 
Again, in other specimens from Pennsylvania and 
California, the whole of the ground color is so 
profusely covered with very minute specks of 
reddish color that the general effect is almost as 
if it were all reddish. 
Dr. Brewer must have had very light colored 
specimens before him when he made the state- 
ment quoted above. 0.& O. XI. Feb. 1836. p. j? /. 
Curious Nests of the Sparrow Hawk. 
BY ,r. P. N. 
Dr. J. C. Merrill, U. S. A., while in Montana, 
collected twenty-five or more sets of eggs of 
this bird, and noticed a most peculiar fact in re- 
gard to their nests. He has kindly permitted 
me to quote from his notes on Montana Birds 
the following ; 
“Of the many nests examined, most were in 
cavities in trees, either natural or made by 
Flickers. The eggs are placed in a slight bed 
of leaves and grasses, or a few chips, or on 
the bare wood. Holes of suitable size and 
shape in rocky cliffs or river banks are also fav- 
orite nesting sites. 
“ In nests found along the lower streams, 
five eggs are the usual complement, while 
those found in the mountains generally con- 
tain fewer.” 
This is the first authentic instance that has 
come to my knowledge where this bird has 
taken lining of any kind into the hole occupied 
by it as a nest. Their almost universal habit is 
to lay' their eggs on the bare wood, and Dr. 
Merrill’s experiences are therefore all the more 
interesting. 
p.100 
