138 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
plentifully scattered over the rocks. I shot the male soon after collect¬ 
ing* the eggs, and have it now in my collection of birds.” Dr. W. L. 
Hartman, of Luzerne county, says: “The Great-footed or Duck Hawk 
breeds reg*ularly in this locality (Pittston) in an almost inaccessible ledg*e 
of rocks.” Mr. Thomas S. Gillin, Ambler, Montgomery county, says: 
“ I have had many opportunities of observing* them, having shot twelve 
' inside of a radius of five miles of this place; in fact see them regularly, 
and know of two nesting places in this state.” Dr. T. Z. Hazzard, 
Allegheny county; Mr. O. B. Hark, Northampton county, and W. P. 
Bolton, Montgomery county, also mention it as a breeder. Dr. John W. 
Detwiller and Mr. Samuel Mack, both residents of Bethlehem, have, on 
different occasions, found Duck Hawks’ nests. With regard to their 
breeding in this state, Dr. Detwiller (letter November 2, 1889) says: 
“Duck Hawk, secured set of four eggs from the cliffs of ‘Camel’s 
Ledge,’ Pittson, 1880; 1886 secured two sets of four eggs in each set, 
one at Skinner’s Eddy and the other at ‘ Buttermilk Falls,’ Susquehanna 
river (East branch). 1887 secured a set of four eggs, and another of 
three, at ‘The Narrows,’ Delaware river. Month of incubation, April.” 
Reports which I have received from other naturalists and collectors, 
show that the Duck Hawk has been observed in other parts of the state 
as a straggler in the spring and fall, or as a rather rare and irregular 
winter visitor. I have never found the nest of this bird. Dr. Coues 
states that it “ breed as far south as Virginia at least; eggs, 2-5, oftener 
3-4, 2.10 to 2.35X1.60 to L75, averaging about 2.25X1.65; white or 
whitish, spotted, blotched, wreathed, clouded, etc., with the reddish- 
browns, from chocolate or even purplish to the ochres.”— Key. N. A 
Birds. 
“ He pursues the smaller ducks, water-hens, and other swimming birds; 
and, if they are not quick in diving seizes them, and rises with them 
from the water. I have seen this hawk come at the report of a gun, and 
carry off a teal, not thirty steps distant from the sportsman who had killed 
it, with a daring assurance as surprising as unexpected. This conduct 
has been observed by many individuals, and is a characteristic trait of 
this species. The largest bird that I have seen this hawk attack and 
grapple with on the wing is the Mallard. 
“The Great-footed Hawk does not, however, content himself with 
water-fowl. He is generally seen following the flocks of pigeons, and 
even blackbirds, causing great terror in their ranks, and forcing them 
to perform aerial evolutions to escape the grasp of his dreaded talons. 
For several days I watched one of them that had taken a particular 
fancy to some tame pigeons, to secure which, it went so far as to enter 
their house at one of the holes, seize a bird, and issue by another hole 
in an instant, causing such terror among the rest as to render me fear¬ 
ful that they would abandon the place. However, I fortunately shot 
