eotten UO ale ON” BvUsial- Eve N 5 
dered nestlings and about the first of June were ready to break home ties. 
At this date another pair of sparrow hawks nested about 150 yards 
away in a dead tree. Strangely enough, there were no hostilities between 
the two families, but I noticed that not once did either of the males venture 
near the other’s cavity, and each hunted in a different section of the woods. 
The female laid five eggs, four of which hatched, two females and two 
males, and as they grew the small home became more and more cramped. 
When one of the little falcons desired to move he was forced to walk over 
his brothers and sisters. 
I was astonished on two different occasions when, after rapping on the 
side of the nesting tree and then climbing to the cavity, I found the adult 
female sitting quietly in the hollow. She allowed herself to be grasped and 
banded without struggling, but upon being released would come dashing 
back and rush about the tree, diving and screaming at me. The male was 
very shy and seldom appeared. 
On my last visit to their nest I found the young had learned to fly and 
were perched in various trees about their previous home, watched over by 
the loving mother. Soon the male appeared, bearing in his talons a fat 
mouse. He circled overhead calling to his offspring, they answered excitedly 
and followed him off to a distant tree. The female remained for a moment 
watching her young that soon would leave her, and with a haughty look for 
me she seemingly shrugged her shoulders and trailed after her family. 
Nearby in a cemetery wood lot I discovered a family of screech owls. 
The young numbering four were hidden in a cavity in a live oak, concealed 
by leaves. At this late date they were prepared to leave home and a week 
later were gone. However, a pair of flickers quickly confiscated the aban- 
doned cavity and were busy preparing to raise their own family. I made 
an effort to locate a marsh hawk’s nest but was able to find only the remains 
of a last year’s nest. 
By this time summer had arrived and my efforts were concluded. It 
is true I had not accomplished a great deal, but I had learned much and 
was anxious to know more. I had taken some photographs which I value 
very much and I felt that I could not have put the time spent in the beauti- 
ful, clean outdoors to any better use. I had come to respect and admire 
birds of prey, and never will I see any justification in the destruction of any 
hawk, eagle or owl. They deserve and should be accorded far better treat- 
ment from the hand of man than has heretofore been meted out to them. 
Chicago, Illinois. 
(Shortly after the receipt of the above article the Chicago papers 
carried a story of a hawk that was taken to the Albany Park police station 
by two boys. One of the officers at the station remembered that James 
Layne, a 16 year old student at Lane Technical School, was interested in 
hawks. He was called to the station and there found it to be one of the 
red-shouldered nestlings he tells about here and which he had taken from 
the Highland Park nest. It was a happy reunion for both James and 
“Warrior,” his pet.) 
