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AN't) AIW01N.'\ §5" -<■ ■ ■,'. /j WL k,::K4'A iratiDits of n- .-■r Sfjp. ."^iSuifg smw^ ^^fS^^. ;3»^*6iw»4i^ i 1'^y /it ORl FULL DE; '•»*K; . f ' • - -^ 'ii^ s'-T^-.-.f^!" ■ A COMPLE Ellustta ■/v I'.. :a- srii'^i^y; ou ^ti- ORNITIIOLOGY AND OOLOGY ov NEW ENGLAND: CONTAIXINO FDLL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BIRD8 OF NEW ENGLAND. AND ADJOINING STATES AND PIIOVINCES, ARRANGED BY A LONG-APPROVED CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE; TOGKTIIKII WITH ^ """''""r^, "'f™'"' ""^ '"'''"' "^''"^' -ri-^'J^S OF AKRIYA., AND DEPARTURE IIIEIR DISTRinCTION. FOOD, SOXO, T.MK OF I.RKKO.NU, AND ' A CAREFUL AND ACCURATE DKSCRIPTION OF THEIR NESTS AND EGGS; WITH Ellusttattons of tnang Species of tf,c ISirJs, anlr accurate JFiguceB of tfjctv Eggs. By EDWARD A. 8AMUELS, OtTRATOR OF ZOOLOGY IN THK MASSACHUSETTS STATE CABINET. BOSTON: NICHOLS AND NOTES, 117, Washington Street. 18G7. Entered according to Act of Congrcsg, in the year 1807, by EnwAito A. Samukls, in the Clerk's OlHce of the l)i; CAMBUIDGIS: STEREOTYPED AND PUINTED BY JOHN WILSON AND SON. PREFACE. In presenting this volume to tlie public, I would say that my chief aim in its preparation has been to supply the great demand for some work that might be accessible to all, both in consequence of its moderate price and its plain, untech- nical language. The want of such a volume is keenly appreciated by our students in this interesting branch of natural history ; and, as all the editions of the valuable and popular works of Wilson and Nuttall are out of print, it has long been almost entirely unsupplied. I have been able, from my own observations, to correct some important errors that have been published as to the breeding habits of different species, and have added, probably, a few new facts to our knowledge respecting those of others ; but I must apologize for being obliged, in a great many cases, to use the observations of others for facts which I have had no opportunity of ascertaining myself. I am greatly indebted to Professor Spencer F. Baird, of Washington, for his generous permission to use the descrip- tions of the birds given by him in the ninth volume of [iii] " PHKPACB. tho Pacific Railroad Reports, and for some valuatilo s[)oci- mons with whicli lio furiiiHiied mo for descriptions and figures. I also take this occasion to return my thanks to Hon. James S. Orcnnell, of Washington, and J. P. I^orris, of Philadel[)Iiia, for tho use of many valuable cuts of birds ; and to George A. Boardnian, Esq., of ^niltown, Me., John Kridcr, of Philadelphia, Thure Kumlien, of Albion, Wis., J. A. Allen, of Springfield, Jlass., William Couper, of Quebec, Lower Canada, Henry A. Purdie, of Boston, and J. Gr. Rich, of Upton, Me., for many interesting specimens, and much valuable information. Great credit is due Messrs. M. M. Tidd and Nathan Brown, of Boston, for tho careful and accurate manner in which they have illustrated tho eggs; subjects, as is well known, exceedingly difficult to figure, particularly on wood. To Messrs. John Wilson 8 VirooniiiK), Vireos 270 Family Alamlidic, Skylarks 280 Friii;j;illidie, Sced-Katers 283 Sub-Family Coceotliraustime, Finches 283 Spizelliiiie, Sparrows 801 rasserelliiue, Buntings 825 Family Icteriduj f];(;j Sub-Family Agelaeinie, Starlings 885 Icteriiiiu, Orioles 340 Quisealina*, IJlaekbirds 850 Family Corvidaj, Crows 866 Sub-Family Corvintc, Crows proper 855 Garrulina;, Jays 86i ORDER IV. — RASORES, SCRATCIIERS. Sub-Order Columbaj 373 Family Columbidtc, Doves 373 Sub-Order Galliuic, Game-Birds 878 Family Tetruonidie, Grouse 878 Perdieidffi, Partridges 393 ORDER v. — GRALLATORES, WADERS. Sub-Order Herodiones 898 Family Ardeida;, Herons 398 Sub-Order Gralkc, Siiore-Birds 412 Family Charadrida;, Plovers 413 Plialaropodida!, Phalaropes 424 Scolopacida;, Snipes 426 CONTENTS. vii Fttinily IIuMimtopotlHlic, Oygter-Catchcrs 432 KccurvirofttridH), AvoioU 43(J Triliii Trin^icus .Siiii(l|iipcrii 44O Siil)-Fiiniily 'rotaiiiiiu', Stilta 4f,i Family Paliidicolm. Swamp IiiLabitoru 470 Sub-Family Ualliiiuo, Hails 47O OUDEIl VI.— NATATORES, SWIMMERS. Siil)-Or(U'r Ansores 480 Family Aiialiiliu 4gQ Sub-Family C'yn at such ain a suffi- below. It -hawk, but d flies off ned with a 5 au object, I a rapidity id cuttings nears the I the latter J Falcon is full stretch. instant, he iff directly, idred yards n the spot, alcon drops :ary, should to a seques- water-hens, i I .'ind other swimming birds; and, if they are not quick in divin- seizes them, and rises with them from the water. I have seen thrs hawk come at the report of a gun, an.l 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 the species. The largest hird that I have seen this hawk attack and graj)ple with on the wing is the Mallard. "The Great-footed Hawk does not, however, content himself with waterfowl. 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 .^rasp of his dreaded talons. For several days, I watched one of "them that had taken a particular fancy to some lame pigeons, to secure wind! 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, causin- such terror among the rest as to render me fearful that they would abandon the place. However, I fortunately shot the depredator. "Tliey occasionally feed on dead fish, that have floated to the shores or sand-bars. I saw several of them thus occupied, while descending the Mississippi on a journey undertaken expressly for the puri.ose of observing and procuring different specimens of birds, and which lasted four months, as I followed the windin-s of that great river, floating down it only a few miles daily. Durin., that period, I and my companion counted upwards of fifty of these hawks, and killed several; one of which was found to contain in its stomach bones of birds, a few downy feathers, the gizzard of a teal and tiie eyes and many scales of a fish. ' " Wliilst in quest of food, the Great-footed Hawk will frequently alight on the highest dead branch of a tree, in the immediate neigh- borhood of such wet or marshy ground as the common snipe resoHs to by preference. His head is seen moving in short starts, as if he were counting every little space below; and, while so enga-e.l, the moment he espies a snipe, down he darts like an arrow, makin- a rustling noise with his wings, that may be heard several hundred yards off, seizes the snipe, and flies away to some near wood to devour it. "It is a cleanly bird, in respect to feeding. No sooner is the prey dead, than the Falcon turns it belly upwards, and begins to 10 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. h: pluck it witli liis bill, wliicli lit> does very oxportly, lioliliiipf it menn- tiiiit! qiiitu I'a.st in lii^^ taloiiH ; iiiiil, an Houii m a portiuti In clearud of foatluMf*, tears tlie ticnU in large pieces, and swullows it with great avidity. " If it is a large bird, he leaves the refuse parts ; but, if small, swallows the whole in pieces. Should he be approached by au enemy, he rises with it, and flies off into the interior of the woods ; or, if he happens to be in a meadow, to some considerable distance, ho being more wary at such times than when he has alighted ou a tree." — Audubon. The followiiif^ very complete description of tho breeding habits of the Great-footed Hawk is from tho pen of J. A. Alli'ii, of Springfield, Mass., one of our most enthusiastic students, published in tho " Proceedhigs of the Essex Insti- tute," vol. IV. : — " All accounts agree that the nest is placed on almost inaccessible cliffs ; and often it can only be approached by a person being let down by a rope from above. The old birds are represented as bold in the defence of their nest, approaching so near as generally to be easily shot. They arrive early at their nesting-place ; and, though they often bestow no labor in the construction of a nest, beyond the scraping of a slight hollow in the ground, they defend their chosen eyrie for wi 'ks before the eggs are laid, and are known to return for several years to the same site. Incubation commences very early, the young having been found in the nest at Mount Tom, May 30, nearly fledged,^ and on Talcott Mountain, in the same condi- tion, June 1 ; so that the laying of the eggs must occur by the last of March, or very early in April. The number of eggs has been known in several instances to be four. " Mountains Tom and Ilolyoke, in Massachusetts, afford several localities favorable for the nidiiication of the Duck Hawk ; and sometimes several pairs, and probably usually more than one, breed about these mountains.- About the last of May, 1803, Mr. Bennett 1 According to R. B. Hildretli, Esq., of Springlield, who visited this nest May 30, 1861, and noted the fact. The nest on Talcott Mountain, Conn., was found the same season, and first visited only a few daj's later, — about June 1, 1861. 2 Since the above was written, I have been informed by Mr. liennett, that a pair of those hawks actually raised their young on Mount Tom in the summer of 1864, notwithstanding one pair was broken up the same season. t*^ GREAT-FOOTKD HAWK. 11 8aw five adult birds of tl.is species nl.out IMount Tom. Dr W W.K..1 of Kast-Wi,ul.sor Hill, Conn., InfbrmH me. that two pairs of Duck Hawks were evidently breeding on Tulcott Mountain in the twn." Dr. merica," as ests in low #^ i Mi hi- H\ I'l.ATK I. H:' I. ihiiHiis. Oniv. U'lrf,. THE SPARROW HAWK. 19 fir-trccs, twelve feet from the ground; cg^s three, dull yellowish-brown, with dark reddish-brown brotches." A single egg before me, kindly loaned for descriptions and figure by George A. Boardman of Milltown, Me., is of the al)ove color. It is admirably figured, fig. 1, plate I., in this volume. It is a trifle more pointed than the eggs of rapacious birds usually arc, and measures l.oO inch iu length, and 1.14 inch at its greatest breadth. TINNUNCDLUS SPAEVEEIUS.— rteillot. The Sparrow Hawk. Fnlco sparreriiis, Linnreus. Syst. Nat., I. 128 (1766). Falcu (lomiiiicenses, Gm. Syst. Nat., I. 285 (1788). Falco gracilis, cinnamoninus, ami isabeUinm. Sw. Cab. Cy., p. 281 (1838). Descuiptiox. AiMt.—Yxm\a.\ hand and space, indudiiif,' the eyes and throat, white; spot on tlie nook behind, two otiiors on each side of the nock, and hnu running downwards from before the eye, bhiok; spot on tiie top of tiie head, the neck behind, back, riinip and tail, light rufous or ciiuianion color; under parts generally a paler shade of the same rufous as tlie back, frequently nearly white, but sometimes as dark as the upper parts, and always with more or loss numerous circular or oblong spots of black; quills l)rowMisii-l)lack, with white bars on their inner webs; tail tipped Avith white, frequently tinged with rufous, and with a broad subterminal baud of black, outer frequently white, tinged with ashy, and barred with black; bill liglit-bluej legs yellow; back generally with transverse stripes of black, but frequently with very few, or entirely without; rufous spot on the head, variable in size, and some- times wanting. Youiiyer .!/«/('. — Upper parts as above; wing coverts and tail ferruginous rod, with numerous transverse bands of brownish-black; under parts with numerous longitudinal stripes, and on the sides with tran.sverse bands of brownish-hlack; oxtonial feathers of the tail palest; broad subterminal band on the tail, obscure or wanting. Yoiiii,; — All the rufous parts of the plumage with wider transverse bands of l)rownish-black; wing coverts, dark bluish-cinereous, with large circular sfots of black; under parts with longitudinal stripes, and large circular spots of black; iris very dark liazcl. Total length, eleven to twelve inches; wing, seven to seven and a half; tail, five to five and a half inches. This beautiful little hawk is a summer inhabitant of all the New-England States, and, in the more southern districts, a resident throughout the year. It is a not very common species, hardly a half-dozen birds being seen in these States 20 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. by a student tlirougli the year, no mattor how entlmsiastin lie may bo. I can add notliin,!? to Wilson's description that will be of interest : it is as Ibllows : — " The habits and manners of this bird are well known. It flics rather irregularly, occasionally suspending itself in the air, hover- ing over a particular spot for a minute or two, and then sliootiiig off in another direction. It jierches on the top of a dead tree or pole, in the middle of a field or meadow, and, as it aliglits, shuts its long wings so suddenly that they seem instantly to disappear: it sits here in an almost perpendicular position, sometimes for an hour at a time, frecjuently jerking its tail, and reconnoitring the ground below, in every direction, for mice, lizards, &c. It approaches the farmhouse, particularly in the monnng, skulking about the barn- yard for mice or young chickens. It frcfpu-ntly jilunges into a thicket after small birds, as if by random, but always witli a particular, and generally a fatal aim. One day I observed a bird of this species perched on tlie higlu'st top of a large poplar, on the skirts of the wood, and was in the act of raising the yun to my eye, when he swept down, widi the rapidity of an arrow, into a thicket of briers, about thirty yards off, wlier(> I shot him dead, and, on coming up, found a small field-sparrow quivering in his grasp. Both our aims liad been taken in the same instant ; and, unfortunately for him, both were fatal. It is particularly fond of watching along hedge-rows and in orchards, where small birds usually resort. AVhen grass) lojipers are plenty, they form a con- siderable part of its food. il M<'i TIIK SPARUOW HAWK. 21 "Thoiinrh small snakes, mice, lizards, &c., are favorite morsels with tins iictive bird, y^t we are not to suppose it altogether desti- tute! of (leliciu-y in feeding. Tt will seldom or never eat of any thing that it has not itself killed ; and even that, if not (as epieures would term it) in f/nod enting order, is sometimes rejected. A very respectable friend, through the medium of Mr. Uartram, informs nie, that one moruing he observed one of these hawks dart down on the ground, and seize a mouse, which he carried to a fence-post, where, after examining it for some time, he left it, and, a little while after, pounced uj)on another mouse, which he instantly car- ried off to his nest in the hollow of a tree hard by. The gentle- man, anxious to know why the hawk had rejected the first mouse, went up to it, and found it to be almost covered with lice, and greatly emaciated. Here was not only delicacy of taste, but sound and prudent reasoning : " If I carry this to my nest," thought he, "it will fill it with vermin, and hardly be worth eating." "The Blue Jays have a particular antii)athy to this bird, and fre(iuently insult it by following and imitating its notes so exactly as to deceive even those well acquainted with both. In return for all this abuse, the Ilawk contents himself with now and then feasting on the plumpest of his persecutors, who are, therefore, in perpetual drond of him ; and yet, through some strange infatuation, or from fear that, if they lose sight of him, he may attack them unawares, the Sparrow Hawk no sooner appears than the alarm is given, and the whole posse of jays follow." Although I have had quite a nuniher of the eggs of tliis bird, I have been able to moot with but one nest, notwitli- standiiig I liavc repeatedly scarclied for it iu many localities. This was built in a crow's nest of the previous year, in a henilock-trce, al)out thirty feet from the ground. There had been apparently Init few alterations of the old nest ; these consisting principally of tlio addition of a few loose sticks and twigs to the interior of the nest, making it nearly a flat jdatform. The locality was the valley of the ]\Iagalloway River, about twenty-five miles north of Lake Umbagog, Me. The eggs Avcre four in number; and these, with several other specimens collected iu Upton, Me., 22 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. Calais, Mo., and Williainstown, Mass., aro before mo. I arn inclined to think, from what I can learn from collectors and Others, that fonr is the usual numhor laid l)y this hird, — probably seldom more. Thoir ground-color varies from a deep cream or yello\vish-l)ufr to a pale reddish-white: tliis is covered, more or less thickly in diflbrent specimens, with spota and confluent blotches of reddish-brown and Vandyke- brown, or chocolate. Their form is nearly spherical, being but very little pointed at either eiul. Their dinumsions vary from 1.40 inch by l.lo inch to l.-SO inch by l.V) inch. This species breeds later than most of the other birds of prey, as the eggs which I found in Maine on the 11th of Juno, 1864, were newly laid. Sub-Family AcciriTRiNyE. — The Hawks. Form rather lotif; mid slender; tail nnd le^fs lonj,'; wings rather short; hill short, hooked; ujiper ninndlhle lulled, but not toothed. Very active and vigilant, and swill of tllKlit; pursuin^j their prey, which consists of birds and small quadrupeds, into the woods and forests. ASTUR, Lac. A»tur, Lacei'EDe, Mem. Inst., III. p. 500. The largest birds of this sub-family, (lencral form strong, but rather long and slender; wing rather short; tail long and broad; tarsi long, covered in front with rather wide transverse scales; toes and claws moderate, the latter fully curved, sharp; bill short, curved; nostrils large, ovate, inserted in the cere. This genus contains about twelve species of all countries. ASTUR ATEICAPILLUS. — 2?cmn/)arte. The Goshawk. Falco atricnpiHus, Wilson. Am. Orn., VI. 80 (1812). Falco reyalk, Temm. Tl. col. I. (liv. 84, about 1827). Dmdaliim pictuvi, J esson. Traite d'Om., I. 07 (1831). Description. Adult, — Head above, neck behind, and stripe from behind the eye, black, generally more or less tinged with ashy; other upper parts dark ashy bluish or slate color, with the shafts of the feathers black, and fi'equently with the feathers narrowly edged with black, presenting a squamate or scale-like appearance ; a con- spicuous stripe over the eye, and an obscure and partially concealed occipital and nuchal band, white ; every feallicr with a irregidiir and impcrl distinct uiid regular vliaile of till! same c< olliiT upper [larts; (iliMc lire hands of a under tail coverts wl Younji, — Kntire rspecially on the liei nearly white; tail li^; brown, and narrowli darker shadi^ of the Webs; under parts w dish ; every feather w sides and tibia' freiii of the sauH! color, tl under tail coverts wli " ylr/M/<. — itill bl greenish-blue; iris re " Yom„j. — \S\\\ 1 AununoN. Total length, fern tail, ten and a half t( a half; tail, nine and This handsoi in the New-En tion, which is Verrill, in his common, and t a nest of this its egg in my me two eggs Wol)urn, Mass and which corn 1 showed him thought them id doubt concerni them as of thi figure them in i are almost exa THE GOHHAWK. 88 nuchalbnnil, white; entire under piirfH mcttl.d willi wliito nn.l liKht nHhy-lirowiii eviTv (■.•iitliiT with a lonKitinlliiiii liiu> oC durlt-brown on it* Bhudr, ami wiili iimiifrouH Irri'Kiiliir nud iiiip.'rt'cct truiiHvcrjd! lines or narrow stripcM of li^lit axliy-lirown, morn iliKtinrt uml ri'Kulur on thu uljdonu-n iiml til.iu-; <|iiillH lin.wn, with ImmN of a dcfpfr nhade of thf oaniu color, and oC asliy-whltr on llicir inner webs; tail xanie color nn oiliir upper parts; nndcr mirlaco very pale, nearly white, ami having about four obM.iire Imnds of a ibeper »hadu of ashy-brown, and narrowly tipped with whites under tail cuvcrts whitu-. yoMw^. _ Entire upper parts, ineludiuK head, dark-brown, with tlm feathers, ropeeially on the head and neck behind, edged and spotted with liKht-reddisb, or nearly white; tail liKlit-a.-hy, with about live wide and conspicuous bands of ashy- brown, and narrowly tippe.l with ashy-white; (piills brown, with wide bars of a darker shade of the same color, ami wide bands of re(blish-whito on their inner webHj under partH white, generally tinged with yellowish, and fre(iuenlly with red- dish ; cverj' feather with tt longitudinal stripe terminating in an ovate :-pot of brown ; Bides and tibia' fre(iuently with .inular and lancolate spots and irregular bands of the sanu- color, the tibiu' generally very conspicm>usly marked in thU manner; under tail coverts white, with a few large lanceolate spots of brown. ''Mull. — m\ black, light-bluo at the base; cere greenish-yellow; eyebrow greenish-blue; iris reddish-orange; feet yellow. " yoiiiiy. — m\ as in the adult; iris light-yellow; feet grccnish-yellow." — AuDunoN. Total length, female, twenty-two to twenty-four inches; wing about fourteen; tail, ten and a half to eleven inches. Mule, about twenty inches; wing, twelve and a half; tail, nine and a half inches. This liandsomo hawk is a not very common winter visitor in the New-England States ; at least, such is my observa- tion, whicli is corroborated by many others, jilthonjih Mr. Verrill, in his catalogue of the birds of Maine,i says it is common, and that it breeds there. I have never met with a nest of this species, and have no authentic specimen of its egg in my collection. In 18G4, a gentleman brought me two eggs that he fotmd in a large hawk's nest in Woburn, Mass. He described the hawk, which he killed, and which corresponded pretty closely with that of this bird. I showed him mounted specimens of the Goshawk, and he thouffht them identical with his bird. As there was still a doubt concerning the identity of the eggs, I did not label them as of this species, and for the same reason will not figure them in this work. So far as description goes, they are almost exactly like the eggs of the Red-tailed Hawk 1 Proceedings Essex Institute, vol. III. p. 140. ^f%, i. 11 24 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. (^Bnfeo horealis), but arc a little more of a bluish-white in tlie gi'ouud-color. For some reason, this species was quite abundant in the neigliborliood of Boston in tlie Avinter of 1859-00 : probably a dozen or (ifteon specimens were sent to nie in tlie dit'ferent plumages, and I liave heard of many others being sliot in the same season. I have had bnt ^q\w op|)ortunities for studying tl"^ habits of this hawk, and, as my observations have been very meagre, I will give Audubon's description, which, so far as my experience goes, is very accurate ; it is as follows : — " The Hight of tlie Goslmwk is extremoly rapid and protracted. He sweeps ak)iig the margins of tlie fields, through the woods, and by the edges of ponds and rivers, with such speed as to enable him to seize his prey by merely deviating a few yards from his course ; assisting himself on such occasions by his long tail, which, like a rudder, he throws to the right or left, upwards or downwards, to check his progress, or enable him suddenly to alter his course. At times he passes like a meteor through the underwood, where ho secures scpiirrels and hares with ease. Should a flock of wild pigeons pass him when on these predatory excursions, he imme- diately gives chase, soon overtakes them, and, forcing his way into the very centre of the flock, scatters them in confusion, when you may see h;m emerging with a bird in his talons, and diving towards the dei)tli of the forest to feed upon his victim. "When travelling, he flies high, with a constant beat of the wings, seldom moving in large circles like other hawks ; and, when lie does this, it is only a few times in a hurried manner, after which he continues his journey. "Along the Atlantic Coast, this species follows the numerous flocks of ducks that are found there during the autumn and winter; and greatly aids in the destruction of mallards, teals, black ducks, and other species, in company with the Peregrine Falcon {Fuko aiKitnin). It is a restless bird, apparently more vigilant and indus- trious than many other hawks, and it seldom alights unless to devour its prey ; nor can I recollect ever having seen one alighted for many minutes at a time, without having a bird in its talons. THE GOSHAWK, 25 Wl,en tluis engaged with its prey, it stands nearly upright; and in general wl,en perel.od, it keeps itself more erect than most species of_ hawks It is extremely expert at catching snipes on the wmg; and so well do these birds know their insecnrity, that, on its approach, they prefer sqnatting to endeavoring to escape by flight. AV hen the passenger pigeons are abundant in the western country, the Goshawk follows their close masses, and subsists upon them. A single hawk suffices to spread the ijreatest terror among their ranks ; and the moment he sweeps towards a flock the whole immediately dive into the deepest woods, where, not- withstanding their great speed, the marauder succeeds in clutchh... he fattest. While travelling along the Ohio, I observed several hawks of this species in the train of millions of these pi-^eons. Towards the evening of the same day, I saw one abandoning, its course to give chase to a large flock of Crow Blackbirds (QmS. calm versicolor), then crossing the river. The hawk approached them with the swiftness of an arrow, when the blackbir.ls rushed together so closely that the flock looked like a dusky ball passin.. through the air. On reaching the mass, he, with the greatest ease" seized first one, then another and another, giving ea^h a squeeze with his talons, and suff-ering it to drop upon the water. In this manner he had procured four or five, before the poor birds reached the woods, mto which they instantly plunged, when he jjave up the chase, swept over the water in graceful curves, and picked the fruits of his industry, carrying each bird singly to the shore. Reader, is this instinct or reason ? " The nest of the Goshawk is placed on the branches of a tree near the trunk or main stem. It is of great size, and resembles tha of our crow, or some species of owl ; being construcf ed of with- ered twigs and coarse grass, with a lining of fibrous strips of i.lants resembling hemp. It is, however, mud. flatter than that of the crow. In one I found, in the month of April, three eor.,s ready to be hatcbcl: they were of a dull bluish-white, spariijly spotted With light re,l.li.sh-brown. In another, which I found i;iaced on a pine-tree, growing on the eastern rocky bank of the Niagara River a few miles below the great cataract, the lining was formed of withered herbaceous plants, with a few feathers : the vonj:;;;^;7^:i:;;;i-''- -:;t^^ -^h ru..,s, and with brown, with lar-e nnrti'illv ro.t V . ' "" "P''" P'"''" ''«'" "■"l'^'-- tipped' with .v^.;; ;' ?p "wSeT M ""' '"^, "' ^^'"^"' ""P*^-" ^''" --^'s It is a noticeable fact in tl.e liistory of many of our birds that in different periods, from some cause or other, m^^iy species have increased in number to a remarkable Extent while others have diminished in like proportion. Some' have moved from sections in which they were for yea^s The Cooper's or Stanley Hawk of Audubon has liad one of these changes ; and throughout New England, where it was formerly a comparatively rare species, it is now one of the most abundant of our birds of prey The habits of the Cooper's Hawk "are generally well Hen Hawk;" and tlie miscliief it does among domestic poultry well earns for it this title. It I R 28 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. Powerful, active, and gifted witli great rapidity of flight, he is able to attack and conquer birds and animals greatly his superior in size and weiglit. Tlie Common Hare (^Lepus Amerlvaims') often falls a victim to his voracity. Ducks, grouse, squirrels, and small birds, arc destroyed by him ; and 1 have known of his capturing and eating snakes and other reptiles, and even grasshoppers and crickets. In hunting for prey, he usually flies just above the trees in the forest, and quite near the earth in the open country. His fliglit consists of a rapid succession of beatings of the wings, witli intervals of equal periods of soarings. On discovering a bird or other object that he may wish to capture, he immediately gives chase. If the bird takes to the foliage of the trees, he immediately follows, turning at every turn, doubling and twisting through the trees with wonderful speed and success ; and the chase is usually but a very short one indeed before he alights to feed on the quarry that he has secured. He is very destructive to the flocks of young ducks that breed in the wilder districts of the country. I rcmcmljer an instance of one of his raids on these birds that is not without interest. While on a hunting and collecting excursion in the wilds of Maine, up the Magalloway River, — a beautiful stream that empties into the Androscoggin, near Lake Umbagog,— I wandered dowr. the river banks, that are, for nearly the entire length of the stream, fringed with a thick growth of trees, away from the camp perhaps a mile. I was watching an old Black Duck {Anas obscura) and her brood of eight "flappers" disporting themselves in the water, and impa- tiently waiting for an opportunity for a shot; for, kind reader, I can assure you that a " broiled flapper," or wild duck about half grown, is a delicacy which, once enjoyed, is eagerly sought for ))y the frequenters of the wilderness. As I was creeping cautiously within shot of the birds, I sud- denly heard a " quack'' and splash, and the whole bevy was hawk would II ^*i THE cooper's hawk. £9 gone. At that instant, a Cooper's ILuvk, that liad evidently just made a swoop at the flock and missed it, alighted on -i small tree tliat hung over the water, and remained perleetly motionless. Now, when man attempts to secure any o? these young ducks, the parent almost always flies off' while tlie young dive and swim under water to the banks of the stream or pond where they may be. When a bird of prey makes his aj,pearanco, the whole family dives beneath the surlace, and swims off; the motlier in one direction the young in another. I have noticed the same fact several times, and conclude that the parent, who frequenlly makes her appearance above the surface, does so because she is capable of enduring submersion better than her youn.r and shows herself oiten, a little farther from her offsprin"; every time, until she had led their pursuer away from tliem ; giving them, in the mean time, a chance to swim off and conceal themselves. Tlie hawk, in this instance, was not to be deceived. He followed the parent but once, and then immediately retur led to his perch. The banks of the river at tliis j^ace were steep, there was no vegetation growing m the water, and the chances for obtaining a meal from one of the young ducks were decidedly in tluT hawk's favor. The young ducks arc very expert divers. They have the faculty of .Inkinij beneath the surface at any alarm, and will remain there perhaps half a minute. Unfortunately lor them, they cannot swim beneath the surface a great distance, and generally come up quite near tlie place where they went down. The hawk sat attentively inspecting the river in dilfereut places; and, as one of the young birds made its appearance, he marked it for his victim. The moment it rose to the surface, he made a swoop for it wlien, of course, it dove. This was repeated several times' the young duck remaining beneath the water a shorter length of time at each dive. Soon it was manifest that the luuvk would obtain his quarry, when, as he flew for 30 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. I f mi the duuk tlie last time, I pulled trigger on him; for we aro all eminently selfisli, and when one of the lower animals, as we regard them, interferes with iis in our pleasures or comforts, even if they are fulfilling tiie dictates of their natures, we brush them from existence, as if ive were the only riglitful possessors of this beautiful world. Fortu- nately for the hawk, \infortunately for the flapper, and iniicli to my chagrin, the cap failed ^- lo'le, and tlie poor duck was borne oflF for food for the i. f the hawk. The Cooper's Hawk breeds in all the .,ow-Englai-d States, and is partial to no particular locality. I have found the nest in sections not a mile from the seacoast ; in the deepest woods of Northern Maine ; and liave had the eggs sent me from ditferent localities in Rliode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Tlie nest of this species is more often found than that of any other. In my collecting trips, my experience has been that I have found certainly two nests of this to one of all others. Audubon says, " Tlie nest is usually placed in the forks of the branch of an oak-tree, towards its extremity. In its general appearance, it resemldes that of the common crow, for which I have several times mistaken it. It is com- posed externally of numerous crooked sticks, and has a slight lining of grasses and a few feathers." This does not agree with my observation ; for, in great niimbers of nests that I have examined, in which I have found no great variation in character, they were almost invarial)ly in a fork of a tall tree near the top, — in three cases out of five in the ditfer- ent ^>//(t^s. They were large, bulky affairs, constructed of twigs and sticks, some of them nearly half an inch in diameter: they were decidedly hollowed, and often lined with leaves and the loose bark of the cedar. The eggs of this species vary in number from two to four. I do not remember ever having found more than four, which inunber is usually laid. Their ground-color is a dirty bluish-white, with often thinly scattered spots of brown, or obscure THE SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 31 blotches and markings of a sliado darker than the ground- color of the egg. A great nunibor of specimens in my col- lection exhibit a variation in dimensions of from 1.82 inch to 2 inclies in length, by from l.oO inch to 1.G2 in breadth. The average dimensions are abont 1.78 inch by 1.52 inch. The breeding season varies considerably with this species, even in the same latitude. I have found nests with eggs as early as the first week in May, and as late as the first week in June. Usually the eggs are laid before the 20th of May in Massachusetts. The season for the northern district of New England seems to be from one to two weeks later than this ; that of the southern district, about a week earlier. A pair of birds that nested in Newton, Mass., in the summer of 1800, were robbed of their eggs four times in tlie season. They built different nests in the same grove, and laid in the four litters four, four, five, and three eggs respectively. The eggs of the last litter were very small ; but little larger than the eggs of the Sharp-shinned Hawk. -f^ ACCIPITEE FUSCUS. — Gwe/m. The Sharp-shinned Hawk. Fdkn/iisctis et rhibiiis, Gm. Syst. Nut., I. 280, 2S1 (1788). Acci/iihr striiiliis, Vicillot. Ois. il'Ain. Sypt., I. 42 (1807). Fdku vehx et Pennsi/lvdiiicus, Wilson. Am. Oni., V. IIG, and VI. p. 13 (1812). S/mn-ius liiieati/s, Vieillot. Ency. Mctli., III. 1200 (1823). Nisiis Mtiljuii, Lesson. Traite d'Orn., I. 08 (1831). Description. AiMt. — f>mi\\\; tail rntlier long; legs and toes slender; entire upper parts browni.sli-blaek, tin;;ed with ashy; occiput mixed with white; throat and under tail coverts white, the former with lines of blaek on the shafts of the feathers; other under parts tine light rufous, deepest on the til)i!c, and with trans\erse bands of white; shafts of the feathers with lines of dark-l)rown; tail ashv-brown tipped with white, and with abo' t four bands of brownish-bhick; quills brownish-blaek, with bands of a darker shade, and of white on their inner webs; secondaries and tertiaries with large partially concealed s|K)ts of white. rouH//. — Entire upper parts dull umber-brown, tinged with ashy; neck behind mixed with white; greater wing coverts and shorter quills with large partially con- cr.ded spots of white; under parts white, with longitudinal stripes and circular and ovate spots of reddish-brown, changing into transverse bands on the flanks if 32 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. ?* and tibiiu; under tail coverts white; bill dark bluish horn-eolor; cere and tursi yellow; iris reddish-yellow. Total k'ii.;th of foinale, twelve to fourteen inches; winp, seven and a half to eight; tail, six and a half to seven inches. Male, ten to eleven inches; wing, six to six and a half; tail, live to live and a half inches. This woU-kuowu little species is a general and common sunimcr inhabitant of all the New-Enu'land States : it ma Ives its a|)i)earance with the arrival of the earliest fiiglit of the smaller migratory birds in spring, and remains until the latter part of autmnn ; and, in the southern ])ortions of these States, even throughout the winter. Tlie hal)its of the bird are so well descril)ed by Anduljon, that I cannot do better than include the description here. He says : — " While in search of prey, the Sliarp-shiniied ILiwk passes over the coinitry, now at a modorate height, now elose over the land, in so swift a maimer, that, although your eye has marked it, you feel surprised that the very next moment it has dashed off, and is far away. In fact, it is usually seen when least expected, and almost always but for a few moments, unless when it has procured some prey, and is engaged in feeding upon it. The kind of vacillation or wavering with whicli it moves througli the Jiir appears perfectly adapted to its wants ; for it undoubtedly enables this little warrior to watch and to see at a single quick glance of its keen eyes every object, whether to the right or to the '"ft, as it pur- sues its course. It advances by sudden dashes, as il tiiosity of movement were essential to its nature, and pounces i,, and strikes such objects as best suit its tippetite, but so very sun W that it appears cpiite hopeless for any of them to try to esca| Many have been the times, reader, when watching this vigiliiiit, active, and industrious bird, I have seen it i)lun'ie lieadloiiir anuino- the briery patches of one of our old lields, in defiance of all thorny obstacles ; and, passing tlu-ough, emerge on the other side, bearing off with exultation in its sharp claws a s})arrow or finch, which it had surprised when at rest. At other times, I have seen two or three of these hawks, acting in concert, fly at a Golden-winged Woodpecker while alighted against tlie bark of a tree, where it thought itself secure, but was suddeidy clutched by one of the hawks throwing, as it were, its long legs with the quickness of • '*i .^ }»■/ ',/■■ SM: .'nH Alil'-SIUNXKK 1 \ A W I'Viii niiH a Dulf ti ■■ ■ II iiubcs; "vilijr, fij- ■I ftM'1 Cf»nUll'i!l lllli..-. UliMl iMir'ioii.H of na'i !rii-\vingHil I fr*»<;, vvliere it- i by oue of thv i.e tiiiiekijess of II hUAKi'-SIl -=*._ ^i^a hUAKi'-siiKNNED lUwK, Acccfiter fuscus. JloiiiipaiKj. ! 1. I If ' tlioviylit, prol Imek of tli(! tho lianvHuiii;! trt'o. TluMi fall, fill) won liiiwk would its vitalH, pill ut 01100 coinn Nuttnll ii upon its qui the gluHS t (itinluu ; an titiou, li(3 y, tlioiigli litth much turn iiu[)C(le(l as Whilst tn thu Sharji-sl mamicr, wit tiiuus, as ir holow, move seen to dcHc lieiglit of 01 wore, every 1)0 inhuhited I'ootls. Agai rises to a gri discernihle f Notwithsti cios, its lies found. Aiu: nor Nut tall ( liiid several, wore huilt in from tho gn and twigs, v THE HIIARP-HHINNKI) HAWK. 88 tliiuiylit, protrutlinf,' its sliarp talons, and tlini«tiii({ tliciii into tho Imck of tlio devoted bird, while it was ciidcavoring to eliiSv I ',3 I >mi ir f: ■|'- |r lii . K. tiji|,i'i' i:ill ■'l! it \. ■; i u-l' Falco borea Falco (iquih JJuteo fern Accijitler ri BuliiU fulvu, Adult.— T a nnl bmid of bl edgings on the brown spots ai other under pai brown tinged i band across th wliite, unspotte h"ght rufous; ui I'uuiif/. — Ti tlie same color bands of dark- with dull whitt white, sides of i irregular band coverts and tibi bill, blue-black; iris pale amber. Total length inches; tail, eig Iburtecn inches ; Tlie Red Ncw-Eiiglai so well klK Every one 1: able lieig'lit, oft-repeated beneath liiii the bird enii notice of bi fly to a plac of their yvh for he is c towards a I THE RED-TAILED HAWK. BUTEO BOREALIS. — FiieiVto. 85 The Eed-tailed Hawk. Fako borealis, Leverianm, and Jamakensis, Gm. Syst. Nat., I. 266 (1788) Fiilco (iqiiUhiiis, Wiwinim. Tniv., p. 290 (17S>1). Butco fa-ruyiimcaudus, Vieillot. Ois. d'Am. Sept., I. 32 (1807). Accipiler rujicamhis, Vieillot. Ois. d'Am. Sept., I. 4C (1807). Bulm fulvuus and Amerkaims, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet., IV. 472, 477 (1816). Dksciuption. A,1nlt.-Ta.\\ bright rufous, narrowly tipped with white, and having a subtermi- nal baud ot black; entire upper parts dark umber-brown, lighter and with fulvous edgmgs on the head and neek; upper tail eoverts yellowi.h-white, with rufous and brown spots and bands; throat white, with narrow longitudinal stripes of brown- other under parts pale yellowish-white, with longitudinal lines and spots of reddish- bnnvn tn.ged with fulvous; most numerous on the breast, and forming an irregular band across the abd.nnen; under tail coverts and tibi* generally clear vellowi.h- white, unspotted, but the latter fre.,uently spotted and transversely barred with light rufous; under surface of tail siKery-white. ro«ny._ Tail usually ashy-brown, with numerous bands of a darker shade of the same color, and narrowly tipped with white; upper tail coverts white, with bands ot dark-brown; other upper parts dark umber-brown, manv feathers ed-ed with dul white and with partially concealed spots of white; en'tire under parts white, sides of the breast with large ovate spots of brownish-black, and with a wide irreguh.r band on the abdomen, composed of spots of the same color; under tail coverts and tibia3 with irregular transverse stripes and sagittate spots of dark-brown; bdl, blue-black; cere and sides of the mouth, yellow tinged with green; legs yellow ins pale amber. > t> j i Total length of female, about twenty-three inches; wing, fifteen to sixteen mches; tail, eight and a half inches. Male, nineteen to twentv-one inches; wintr lourteen inches; tail, seven and a half to eight inches. ' The Red-tailed Hawk is a common resident of all the New-England States throiighont the year. Its habits are so well known that a description here is hardly needed. Every one has noticed this hawk up in the air, at a consider- able height, soaring in extended circles, and uttering the oft-repeated cry, kae, Icae, kae, as he examines the earth l)encath him for prey. Audubon was of the opinion, that the bird emitted this shriek for the purpose of attracting the notice of birds and animals beneath, and causing them to fly to a place of concealment, thus giving him a knowledge of their whereabouts. This supposition is not improbable ; for he is often observed descending with great rapidity towards a bird that has taken flight at his outcries. 86 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. This Hawk is very dostructivc among domestic poultry, and is generally regarded with dislike. I have known of instances when he has almost completely depopulated a poultry-yard before he could be captured. It is the custom of the Hawk, when he has once had a taste of a flock of fowls, to visit it regularly every day at about the same time : sometimes in the afternoon, oftener in the morning. The moment his cry is heard, the shrill alarm of the cock is given, when the hens run hither and thither, cackling, and adding to their own affrigiit ; the guinea-fowls rattle their discordant notes ; tlie mother with her chickens becomes almost frantic in her efforts to protect her young from the inevitable destroyer. In the midst of this clatter, the pirate who has been its sole cause comes on eager wing, and, selecting the fattest of the flock, pounces upon it, ayd, with scarcely an effort, bears it off to feast his mate and young. The Ruffed Grouse {Bonasa nmhellus) and Com- mon Iliirc iLepus Americanm) both fall victims ; and the number he destroys is very great. The Rod-Tailed Hawk builds its aest in a lofty fork of a large tree. The nest is one of the largest of our rai)acious birds, — ill one case, to my knowledge, exceeding two feet in Avidth and twenty inches in depth. It is constructed of large sticks and twigs ; is but slightly liollowed ; and is lined with smaller twigs, leaves, and moss. The eggs are generally three in number, seldom more: their ground- eolor is a dirty yellowish-white, with blotches of a yellow- ish-brown, and sometimes distinct Ijlotches of a darker brown. Their form varies from nearly spherical to ovoidal ; but they are, in general, nearly as large at one eiul as at the other. Dimensions of specimens vary from 2.12 to 2.25 inches in length, by from 1.68 to 2 inches in breadth. Three eggs that I took from a nest in the southern part of Ohio, early in the month of April, measure 2.18 by 1.62 ; 2.14 by 1.70; and 2.20 by 2 inches, ' averaging a little THE UED-SIIOULDERKD HAWK. 87 smaller than specimens collected in New England These eggs must have been laid by the 25th of March. In New England, they are seldom laid before the last week in April to the iirst week in May. BUTEO LINEATUS.-Jnrr/ine. The Bed-shouldered Hawk. Falco Uneatm and hjemnlh, (Jm. Syst. Nat., I. 2G8, 274 (1788) /Wfo 6«-- land throughout the year. Its habits are so nearly like those of the preceding, that I can add nothing to that I have already written. The best account of the bird's habits in the breeding season, that I remember, is given by Audubon. It is as follows : — '• This bird is one of the mo.«t noisy of its genus, durincT spi-in- ospecii.lly, wl.en it would bo dillicult to ap],i-oafli the skirts of woods bordering a large plantation without hearing its discordant shrill uot^^, — ka-hee, ka./>ee, — ixs it is seen sailing in rapid circles at a vtry great elevation. Its ordinary flight is even and protracted, 88 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. excepting when it is describing the circles just mentioned, whenit often dives and gambols. It is a more general inhabitant ot the woods than most of our other species, particularly durmg the sum- mer, and in autumn and winter; t.ow and then only, in early spru.g, showing itself in the open grounds, and about the vicinity of smal 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 Eed-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 in an instant, afterwards devour- incr 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 soi.ie short distance, until lie conceives himself out of sight of the intruder, when he ,.ai.i 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 iniurious to the beauty of form which the bird usually displays. On all occasions such as I have described, when the bird is so .ror-cd, it is approached 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 fli-rht is accompanied with many circlings and zigzag motions, du'riiKr which it emits its shrill cries. The male is particularly noisylit this time. He gives chase to all other hawks, returns to the branch on which his mate has chanced to perch, and caresses her. This happens about the beginning of ISIarch.' Ihe spot adapted for a nest is already fixed upon, and the fabric is halt 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 bordering plantations. "When one ascends to the nest (which, by the way, is not 1 May in New England. THE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. 89 always an easy matter, as our beech-trees are not only very smooth, but frequently without any boughs to a considerable dis- tance from the jfround, as well as of rather large size), the female bird, if she happens to be sitting, liies off silently, and alights on a neighboring tree to wait the result; but should the male, who supplies her with food, and assists in incubation, be there, or make his api)earance, he immediately sets up a hue and cry, and plunges toward the assailant with such violence as to astonish him. " When, on several occasions, I have had the tree, on which the nest was placed, cut down, I have observed the same pair, a few days after, build another nest on a tree not far distant from the spot in which the first one had been. " The mutual attachment of the male and the female continues during life. They usually hunt in pairs during the whole year ; and, although they build a new nest every spring, they are fond of resorting to the same parts of the woods for that })urpose.' " The young remain in the nest until fully Hedged, and are fed by the parents for several weeks after they have begun to fly ; but leave them, and begin to shift for themselves, in about a month, when they disperse, and hunt separately, until the approach of the succeeding spring, at which time they pair. " This Hawk seldom attacks any kind of poultry, and yet fre- quently pounces on partridges, doves, or wild pigeons, as well as red-winged blackbirds, and now and then young rabbits. On one or two occasions, I have seen them make their appearance at the report of my gun, and try to rob me of some blue-winged teals, shot in small {muds. I have never seen them chase any other small birds than those mentioned, or quadrupeds of smaller size than the Cotton Kat." My experience has been difTerent from the above para- gra[)]i ; for I have known of this Ilawk attacking poultry, and, even several times in the same flock, killing a fowl each time. The breeding habits of this and the Red-tailed Hawk are so exactly similar, that the above description well answers for both. 1 I liave known of the same nest being occupied by a pair of these birds for several seasons. — E. A. S. I ^ nf 40 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. I liave found several nests of tliis species in dilfrrent localities, all of whieli were placed in liij?li forks of trees. Tliey were built of twigs and sticks of dilferent sizes, and usually were of large size. A nest that I found in Milton, :Mass., was built in a fork of a largo oak, against the trunk, about forty feet from the ground. It was of a bulk nearly sullicicnt to fdl a basket : it was considerably hollowed, and lined with dry grass and leaves. The eggs, two in number, are in the cabinet of Dr. Brewer, who describes them as follows : — " Two others belonging to tliis species, obtained in Milton, ISIass., by Mr. K. A. Samuels, and identified by securing the parent birds, may be tluis dcscribi^d : One measures 2-,^ by 11||. incli. The ground-color is a dirty-white, and is marked witli large blotches, lines, and dottings of uniber-brown of various shades, A-om (juito dark to light. The other is 2 inches by 1||{, has a bluish-white ground, and is only marked by a nund)er of very faint blotches of yellowish-brown and a slute-drab. Except in their shape, which is an oval spheroid, slightly pointed at one end, these hear hut very slight resemblance to each other, though taken at the same time from one nest." A numbair of specimens in my collection exhibit as great a variety as the above instances ; and one specimen, obtained in Connecticut, which measures 2.12 by 1.(35 inches, has a dirty yellowish-white ground-color, which is nearly covered with blotches of faint-purple ; the a{)pearance being as if the purple spots were laid on, and then a coating of white- wash laid over them. BUTEO PENNSYLVANICUS.— Bonaparte. The Broad-winged Hawk. Fnlco Pennsykanlciis, Wilson. Am. Orn., VI. 92 (1812). And. Orn. Biog., 1. 161. Falcu Wilsonii, lionuparte. Jour. Pliiia. Acad., III. 348 (1824). DKSCiiirTioN. AduU. — Entire iipjier parts umljer-brown ; featliors on the occiput and back of the necli white at tlieir bases; tliroat white, with longitudinal lines of brown, and ■f j THE DUOAD-WINGKD HAWK. 41 brtUHt «,t , « uHlo band c p,..,.,.! of larKo cordafc an,l H«Kittat,. Hi.ots an.l tranH ver.e bands ot ruddiM-ferruKinons .!„«,., with asl.y; otl... ^ndor „ r, w . ' " h n merouH .aKi..u.e .,„.« of r.ddisi. .„■ „... ^au^;, al.do.....,., and', I /^ u,Hh..- ad ...vcrrs, and all ,1... ,..1... have lar,. circular .„• ova'te ., . " 'wl e on bn, h c.d«.,s; nnd..r ,a.l coverts white; ,,uills browni.h-blaek, .id iy borde 1 M:.th white on the.r n.ner web.n, tail dark-brown. nam.wlv tip.ul with white a w.th one w.de band of white »nd several narrower bands n.ar the base l..«»v.-- Upper parts dull und.er-brown, many feathers ed^ed with' fLdvou8 and ashy-wh.to; upper tail coverts spotted with white, under .wts wh t ,. , r, tn,Ked w.th yellow.sh an.l having lonKitndinal stripes an.l oblon,^ and Imueo ate spots o brow.nsh-blaek; a stripe ,„ dark-brown on eaeh side of tl'e neck tl base 01 the under mandible, tail brown, with several bands of a darker I le,' h same color and of white on the inner webs, and narrowlv tipped with vite Bdl du.h black at the tip. blue towards the base, cere and maJJin vellow hazel; teet KandioKe-yellow; claws brownish-black. ' Total len^^tl, femak^ seventeen to ei,d,teen inches, win^^ eleven, tail, six and a half to even n.ches Male, total length, sixteen to sixtec.t and a half inches; winy" ten inches, tail, six to six and a half inches. *" _ This bird, until quite recently, has been regarded as rare m all the New-England States; and even now it is by no means eonunon, although it is mueii oftoner found here than lornierly. It occurs in these States only as a siunmer visitor, arriving in the spring about the middle of April and departing for the South in October. The flight of' this Ifawk is quite rapid, consisting of l.ing intervals"of soarin-r with shorter periods of ilappings of the wings. It seem^ t^I) j.reler the wilder districts to the more thickly .settled ones and IS most often mot with in the interior of the country' 1 noticed several individuals, in the course of a day's march in Northern Maine, soaring above the hemlock and pine forests, and uttering their shrill key, hj-ah, h,-ah-ke-ee ke-ee, as they were searching for prey beneath them. Small birds, reptiles, s(iuirrels, and insects constitute the princii)al portion of their ibod; and they seldom attack a bird larger than a {)igeoii or (juail. Once, while listening to the beautiful song of the White- throate.l Sparrow, I was startled by the sudden appearance of one of these hawks, which, flying within a yard of my head, as I sat in some bushes on the shores of Lake Umba- i- 'i\ ^2 OUNITIIOI.OCY AND OOLOGY. goR, ponncoa at a Red S.,uirrol (,V. IlMus} that wa« ehatt:..in, at n.c IVo.n the t,.p nf a lu ow « j'-P ' ^ Huuinol barely escapoa by diving into Ih. bollow, wl ou ho hawk, tulin, suadcnly, n.shod at n.y UttU, nongst. , aud, clutchiu, bin. through the vdaln bor. nm ol exultation. So sudden was the attack, that I ''-.'; - to cock n»y gun beto.r lie was half a dozen rods ott, nnIiu. I fll-^l, and light lunv to the g.onud: tlu3 sparrow ..H,^ course dead. The hawk was only wn.g-tipped; and, tlnow ;: ^^seir on Ids back, hi. loot extended he awaUe.^n^ aporoach. As 1 drew near him, ho emitted a sort ot loss u d as he glared at me with rage-nkindlod eye, -.api-;- 0 Very i.rcarnation of wrath. On killing him, I loiuid hat ho had had one of his tarsi broken be ore, 'M-l-'-^^ ^ shot : it had healed, but had lost none o is strengt 1, m as 1 touched him with a stick, he grasped it with both leet so poweriully that all his claws were thrust ^^^^^i' ".'^';;^'^;^^";;; * The nest is rarely found. One that 1 vsited n, A\ est Uox- bury Mass., on the 20th of May, IHW, had lour eggs, it wi:;niiltiii'atallpine.ree,inaibrknearthetop;^^^^ composed of coarse sticks and tw.gs, and was in d v th the bark of the red cedar and a few leaves and leatl e, s The eoos, which arc now before me, vary from 2 byl..U incheMo 2.15 by 1.72 inches ; their cohn- i. - ^^^yy^;^;^ ish-white, covered more or less Ih.ckly m the ditleuiit specimens with spots and blotches of redd.sh-brown : an- ler egg, obtained in Newton, Mass m the previous season, is somewhat smaller, and the markings are land, and of a lighter color. Two other specimens m my collec- tion, collected in New Han.pshire, correspond to this description; but the spots are much finer and ot a darker color. AUCIIIBUTEO, BuKiiM. .rj will! S...J. Wing. ..>n, a-ul .id., to^ .hort ; ^ jws .nodorate; ta.l rather short, wide. Other characters very similar to those ot liuleo. i^ THE ROUGII-LE(i(JKI) HAWK. 48 This KPiuin pnntnins nix or novon Ppocio!!, Inhnhiting Europe, Alia, and North AiiRTiiii, all liiids (if hinvy tli(iii(,'li rol.uHt iirKiiiiizalli.n, HuhHJNtiin,' riiuliily on amall qiiiKlniiHds and rc|itllrH. Tliu Bpucicit of thm gtnuM uru easily rueogmzcd by thulr having thu Inni ruutliurud. AHCHIBOTEO LAGOPUS.— f/; The Eough-legged Hawlt. ny. Fnko lagopw, Oni. Sy.st. Nut., 200 (1788). And. Orn. niog , 11. 377, and Fd/ni /ili(iii!j)(>, Daiidin. Traili! d'Orn., I[. 10.1. /'((/(•i.y((/(j(,(/,M, Cuvicr. iiCK. An., I. ;J2.'t (lhl7). Archibuku aUkyii), Itrclini. Voj,'. DeiitMcli, I. 40. DKacniPTior*. Tnrs.is densely featlierod in front to tl.o tous, nuked behind; wing lontf; tail rather short. vl(/i///. — Head nimvo yellowish-white, with lonKitn.linal stripes of brown tinned with reddish, espeeiully ..n the oeeiput; Imek s.apulur, and shorter quills pale eine- reoiis, widi partially e- cd^ed b.-ownish-blaek; otl e 1 ! . r,;..lf f n""- 7 \" '"'""" *""^^ ^"-^ """" "^ of brownish-blaek, treo , lv " ill / " '"T' ^""^''^ "'"' lo-.^n'tudinal stripes ^i".- win.s and 'tail C! t^^^ f J .S: Z^ll^^ "'""^ "" f "-^ ""'l on their inner webs, the latter white ,t ' "■ """•'^^■'l "!"> ^vhite ....... .p« „,.,; .™,;;':;:!t 'Jin^^:; :: :■; *:,r "'•«•"- ■"'- .' .;Sr,.sr:::?i:;':;:r" '■'"*""' '-'"^■■-'»-^^ This specias so ofton conloun.k.l i„ tl,c innnaturc „1„ ft-rin',",:"" "r'">'' '"" ""'"" -^ "«'"-' o.u t hy ,ts g,-cator s,zo a„.l more nu„,o,-„us da,k »„„,« .coat:,. ,« a ,.aro wiutcr visit,,,. i„ Na,v England. Ho svva.upj, „.o„,s to tl,„ l,isl,o,. lociitios, an,l proys nZl m.cc, wounded ducks, and sn.all l.it-ds, I l.avo kn, „n i -"« kd od wlnlo pursuing a Hock of Snow n: t , O «*■„,*,„„ ,„al„), and have heard of its .attacldn/a «ock 01 domestic poultry. Its hahits, therefore, are difte' hut .t l,,ck« i,o cour,agc and vigor of most of our other .apacous hu^ds, and is hardly worthy of the in.uortaC has rece.vod frotu the pens of so„,e of our writer. The d,stril>ntiou of this s|,ecics is linnted to the north m-.. regtons of the continent in su,„n,er, and is ve.y Tely ' ■•^''"^'jyptf'tl*il^?ttfi^l|p?^i•'"^^'■"1^i1v^'^'■" . ■ ...^. \m 46 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. found soiitli of Massacluisctts in winter. I do not remem- ber of an instance of its being captured far inland, although J. A. Allen, before quoted, includes it in the catalogue of the birds of Springfield, Mass. A single egg in my collection, from Northern America, is of the following dimensions : 2.17 by 1.70 inch. Its form is a perfect ovoidal. Its primary color is a dirty white ; and it is marked with obscure blotches of lilac, and some obscure blotches of brown and brownish-yellow. None of the markings are decided ; and, at a little distance, the egg has the appearance of being of a dirty-white color. Sub-Fa mill/ Milvin.e. — 77^e Kilcs. Size various, usuallv iiKdiiiin or small: froncral form usually rather slcmler, and not stron-; win-s and tail usually loni;; bill short, weak, hooked, amlacute; tarsi and toes usually slender, and not stron;;, sometimes short The birds of this group habitually feed on reptiles and other small animals, and arc detieient in the strength and courage of the other groujis of the falcons. CIRCUS, Lackpede. Circm, Lackpkdk, Mem. d'Inst. Paris. III. CXI. 500 (180.3). Face partiallv encircled by a ring or rutf of short projecting feathers, as in the owls; head rather large; bill short, compres.sed, curved from the base; nostrils large; wings long, pointed; tail rather long, wide; tarsi long and slender; toes moderate; claws rather slender and weak. t- CIRCUS HUDSONIUS.- T7./«o(. The Marsh-hawk; Harrier; Mouse-hawk. Folcn niidsniiius, Linna'us. Syst. Nat., I. 128 (1766). Falco iilii/iiKiKiig, (im. Syst. Nat., I. 278 (1788). Fiikoul!!/iii(isiif,\\",him. Am. Orn., VI. G7. Fulco cyantus, Aububou. Orn. Uiog., IV'. :i'.)C. DKSOIIU'TIDN. A'Mt.— Yorm r.ither long and slender; tarsi long; rufT quite distinct on the neck in front: entire upper parts, head, and breast, pale bluish-cinereous, on the back of the head mixed with dark-fulvous; upper tail covert.s white; under pans white, with small cordate or hastate spots of light-ferruginous ; (piills brownish- black, with their outer webs tinged with ashy, and a large portion of their inner THE MAIISII-HAWK ; HARRIER; MOUSE-HAWK. 47 i,.,».;._I,„„,e „,,p,,r p,,,t, ,,,„.,^ umber-brown; upper tail coverts wbitn- ..; -paws r,„;,us, with l,.n,i,uainal stripes of bro;„ Z thet ^^j^ ! ;i;:r ;;':-.:;;-;:"-;;:::;;: """^ -^ ^-^---- -- «- •- '■"^ Jotal length, female, nineteen to twenty-one inches; wing, fifteen and , le.lf. litiiS; .i':'.;:;rt;r -r '- ^'«"-" -- -- --^- This species is pretty generally diffused throughout New JM.gland as a summer visitor. It is one of thc^ least mis- chievous of all the hawks, as it destroys Imt lew of the smaller birds. It is more common in districts that arc low and marshy than in others ; and this flict gives it the name, 111 many localities, of the " IJogtrotter." Its flight is low and rapid, consisting of Iqng intervals <>1 ilaj.pu.gs, with shorter periods of soaring. ' I do not remember of ever hearing it cry out in the manner that other hawks do, and think that it hunts silently. It arrives Irom the South from about the mi.ldle of April to the first <)t May. I am inclined to think that tlie bir.ls are generally mated before their arrival ; for they are almost always seen m pairs from their first appearance. In choosing a situation lor a nest, both birds are remarkably nervous and restless- tl.oy are almost constantly on the wing, prying into, and apparently taking into account, every thing with reference to future comfort. The following circumstances came to my observation, and, as I improved every opportunity to watch the proceedings, will serve to illustrate the breeding habits . 1," ^Tl '' .!" ''''"■ '"''''" ^^'"'^" "PP^'"-^^"«<^ iil'out the middle of April, a few years since, in a large meadow in Dedhain, Mass. They were apparently mated from the hi'st ; and, as the neighborhood gave promise of an abnn- ! f 48 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. I danco of food (fiold-mico), T concluded that this would 1io selected as a breeding- place, and watched accorh-liro\vii occur, in a greater or loss degree, over their entire surface. In two, the blotches are large and well niarki'd: in the others, less strongly traced, but (piite distinct. This has led to a closer examination of eggs from other parts of the country, and nearly all are per- ceptibly spotted." 1 THE GOLDEN EAGLE; THE RING-TAILED EAGLE. 49 Suh-Famibj Aqvu.mm. — The Hagles. t..rsi .noderate, verv str n,! Waw X 7'' '"","' '"' """"'''• «"'^'^^">' '«""'•«' = -venty specie, of Ragles of a L tri ^ ' '^""^ ""' ^'^''"^'- '^^'"^'^ ^ ''»-' AQUILA, MoEHiiiNo. ^^pnh, Mov.uniya, Av. Gen., 49 (1752) tarsi rathor short, v.rv stnm. tVuth .n t ''' "■'"«' '""f^'- P"i'"U..l ; ^"" -"- '"'""'" - ™--;;:, ::;: :-l:^z tz r^:;r- AQUILA CANADENSIS. -( ,„,/„. The Golden Eagle ; tha Einj-tailed Eagle. f^deo Canadensis, Limuvn,. Svst\u Ii>-m-,v< /wt.rV'f" ^""«-I^«-s.As.,L338(l81l) ^"'<-''^'">-"'K Wilson. Aud.,n. 464. AIU~T I^K«<'l!II'TI().\. brow::;,;-,d.:;r;::s;rt:r;:;':n;i":r"^^' '^'"' "-'^ --^ '-"-' >i^>.t fivous. «,.„,.raliy daikor; tail tt ,,! "J ' TT'"'' '■"""""'"^' "«"' "'•"•"^- greaf.r part of the tail; otl,,.,. terminal I ,■' ! froqucntly occupies the ..-w„ish-„ivous, Kcneral,;^.!;!;; \w " ; ;:':;r"'""""'"'""" '""^ '•"" '"■■^' rc.l.lish-l.azel. ".irk-asliy; cere and toes yellow: iris ...0 '";?;:::;i;'2:r3;:^^ ^r """-""^-- "■"'- ^'- ^^ , ^'otal ie„„„, te.„ale, .l.ir.vJL; "J ,"::;:: ^ "'"V"^ ''^ """■^• about mieeu inches. Male, t ,tal le„„,| 1 ir V, .""■ "" '^'^^'y-^^^' *«!!, '" >"enty-,hree: tail, twehe to (.mH^^tV ""•'^-"^'^ '"^■"-'- -"■g- twenty 1'- white in proportion to their a. - ! ' ''■",''• •■'■:'', "'" >•""■•^^ '"'ve more or "Inte in proportion to their aKe.-,h,, ;,,„„, I (IF IMP nni^iA ' '' hand at the haso ;vst !,, Iiavinjj; the widest white gland, that I Tliis bird is so extremely rare in New England tint T have had no opportunities for stvulyin. its Imb'ts iT occasionally found here in diirerent^e^l of [^ ^^^ ! i 50 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. Ir ^ and it uncloubtedly breeds in the wildest districts of these States. The following are the most interestnig facts, given by Audubon, in relation to this species : — .'The Golden Eagle, although a permanent resident in the United States, i« of rare occurrence there; .t ^-"'g ,* ^'^ one sees more than a pair or two in the course of a yeai, unlc s he h^rinhabltant of the mountains, or of the large plams spread ou at their base. I have seen a few of them on the -".- S shores of the Hudson, others on the upper parts of t- M'ss.s p^, some among the Alleghanles, and a pan- m the State of Ma ne^ At Labrador, we saw an individual sailit,g, at the he.ght of a few yards over the moss-covered surface of the dreary rocks. ' ^Although powerful in flight, it has not the speed of many hawks nor evn of the White-headed Eagle. It ca.u.o:, bke he Htt pursue and seize, on the wing, the prey it longs for ; but .s t d to glide down th...gh the air for a cert.un hetght to tnsure th 'success of its enterprise. The keenness of tts eye, however, !k s up for this defect, and enables it to spy, at a great d.stance he obie ts on which it preys; and it seldom m.sses tts aun as it fils with the swiftness of a meteor towards the spot on wluch they .concealed. When at a great height in the air, tts gyrattons are ncommonly beautiful, being slow and of wide ctrcu.t, at.d becom- • "the m^sty of the king of birds. It often contumes them for ho'urs at a time, with apparently the greatest ease. "The notes of this species are sharp and harsh; resemblmg, at tin,es, the barking of a dog; especially about the breecbng season, Xn the birds become extremely noisy and turbulent, iiung tnore wifdy than at other times, alighting more fre.p.ently, -ul evn.n.g a fretfun.ess which is not so observable after the.r eggs are laul. " They are ca,>able of remaining without food for several dajs at a time, and eat voraciously whenever they find an opportunUy. ; Y^ung fawns, raccoons, hares, wild turkeys and other large Inrds are their usual food; and they devour putn.l flesh only when ;;,,a' pressed by hunger, none alighting on carrion at any other time. , I rcoret that I am unable to add any tlnng to onr knowl- edge o°f its habits and breeding peculiarities. Dr. Brrw.r THE WHITE-HEADED EAGLE, ETC. 61 nT 'rr " ''1':"'^" "' "'° -'"""toino.w portions of Maine New Ha.D,.l,„.e, Ver.nont, and New York." Tl,c Go .' Lagle usually conmructs its nost on tl,e sides ot's teen ™ kv crags, where its materials are eoarsoly l,ea„ed tt , '„ a projoetn,,. si.elf of rock. Tl.ese eonsist of lar^e sfek" oosely arran.-ed. In rare i„.sia„ces, they are sa U t„ X ,7 """ °" '""' '" '"» ^V'-tern'st, ts, ,le rooky ehlTs are not to he met with. Tlie eggs are „ llL l.ree n, nun.her; son.etin.es two, or only o^e. MrTd , ... doser,bes them as measuring throe and a hall in'e s " l«..gth l.y two and a half in breadth ; the shell t ck a, -.ooth, dnl -white, hrnshed over witl, nude d pate ' of brown, wlneh are nrost nnu.erous at the larger end ITALL'ETUS, Savigxv. claws very strouK, curve.!, verv,.harn: l,i|| larL' ,J '''" *"'' '""""-''• '""«' or upper „.anc.iU.e .,i„a,, ,.,;.,; wi„«s ,o„g, poh;;S, tn'Lair"" "'""'" HALIiETUS LEUCOCEPHALUS. The White-headed Eagle ; the Bald i.agle ; the Gray Eagle ialco us.Jr„yns, Wilst.„. A,„. Orn, ML 16 (I813). OkbCKII'TIOX. "r iri,, y,:ll„„-. ' "*" "' ""■■ '"""" l»l"1 Ml, (i,,, ,„,, (,,,,„ .....;;::w;;;:,^;!;i;:-;r'::;'s::r:r'i;' ''"'-'"'"•- « more or irss .....ttletl «iih wlm. whiw, ' '^'"•'•'""■^' <"' »''« '"hI"" part..; tail >"r.e portion of the tail, l^^y^ tC "'"" "'^•'""^^'' ''^''- -'-"'< --a Total lel.fer,!,, ,i,,„,,| ,^^ fliirtv-fivo to Cnr... • 1 t«-enty-five inches; tail, ,.„,,.„. ,., ,ii^. ! 'i, , f^, ";"-; ;-'^- t-tythree to wn,., twenty ,0 twen.y-t.o inches; tail, t,:';:; ^:!;:^Z::::''-''^^ -'- i'( I '»: .-.mmnt^tiAiimsm&^iikfi.' (PR»*5^iifw »^ I 52 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. This bcaiitiful ami woll-kiiowii biril is occasionally scon in different parts of New England througliont tlic year, most commonly near the seaeoast or in the neighl)orhood of largo tracts of water. I have had several opportunities of ohscrv- ingand studying its habits, l)Ut have discovered nothing that ha^s not been already i> osented to the public. Its flight is III TriK ttlMTK-UEADED EAGLE. 68 rapid and graceful, „„,1 ■„ „ft„„ pr„,„^^ j f„ , apparent oa.s„. ]t food« „„„„ „.!ld.f„„d, wild 1 „ ad ZolT ^ ""•""-""')' -1 «"J» cast „„„,. the sayjf""' '" ''"'"■"''"= "» »"'"^''» <"> "«= Fish Hawk, rrr t^'^i r"'- "-"''-i^'-^"' -- "■« :;r:s soJves; niiawed by any tliino- but nv.., • n,. i t- , wi.i,.s ,„ „,,„,, „L„;. i„<*= „^'!,::;,; It:. ':,:;: •:;' l-e „ee„ „,e„t,o„oa abeve, f,™ .„e , J. „„,,i,„i,^ „f J;;,^ „» ticular occasions, but. when nnf fnwi. • ' Klevate,! on the In-r. ^ ," ^^f'^^-^Po^-ru^.^i,,,^,,,,-^^^^ ni^ii (i(,i(i limb ot some "■nrjint c fiv-o fi>.,t ^-"0. at the .,„..., ...,„.ei,„ „:„.,, :l;"l;:.::;:„„?:,.:^,: ill rA OllNITlIOLOCY AND OOLOGY. on the branch, h.) watches the result. Down, nii)id as an arrow from lieav'.n, .lescendH the distant object of his attention ; the roar of its wings reaching the ear ns it .liHappoars in the deep, making the surges foam around. A. this irouic.t, the eager kn.ks ot the Ea.do are all ar.h.r ; and, levelling his neck for flight, he sees thf" Kish-hawk once more emerge, struggling with his prey, and mounting in the air with screams of exultation. These are the si.M.al for our hero, who. launching into the air, instantly gives chase, and soon gains on the Fish-hawk: each -x. rt^, I. ..tmost to mount above the other, displaying in these rencontres the most ,.lo.^ant and sublime aerial evolutions. The unencumbered Eagle rapkUv advances, and is just on the point of re;iching his opponent, when,' with a sudden scream, probably of despair an.l honest execration, the latter drops his fish : the Eagle, poising lumselt for a moment, as if to take a more certain aim, descends like a whirl- wind, snatches it in his grasp ere it reaches the water, and bears his iU-gotteu booty silently away to the woods. "These predatory attacks and def.Misive mancnuvres of tlie Fajuila pUcalrlx, Vieillot. "ois. d'Am. Sept., I. 29(1807) Pan^llon Anuricnnus, VieilL.t. Gal. Ois., I. 3,3 ( 1825). Falco halio'lus, Linnanis. Wilson, Am. Orn., V. 14. Falco halUztus, Linna;us. Aud Orn. Biog., I. 415. ' : I ■:\n m 66 OUNlTHOLOdY AND OOLOGY. Dkhchii'tkin. Wiii^a lmi({; li'^s, tocH, uiiil iliiws very rnlnmt uud Mronn. A'luU. — llaiul niul fiitiro uiuUt pnrtH wliifu; utriiw tlirounh tlio cyn, top of the lipiid, iiml upi«r parlH dl' tin- lioily, wiii(,'« nnd tail drrp umliiT-browii, tiiil having IllHiut vitiUt liiiiidH (if l.liiikif't with iiiiiiii'nMis ((irdiil.i iind ririiiliir H|mtH of pitl.' yollowi»li-l>rc.wii; liill uiid tluw« bluish-blucki tui'ni and tocK jjrceu- inli-ycllow; irirt ri'ddisli-vt'llow. I'ounf/. — Similar to the ndiilt, but with the upper plutnnKo cdK^d and tipped witii palu-brownisii, nearly wliitis spots on the liri'aHt iiiori' niiiiu'roiis an; teinjjests back to Greenland ride, And day and ni},'ht the equal hours divide, — True to the season, o'er our sea-beat shore. The sailini; <)si)rey hi^h is seen to soar With broad, uniiioving winj? ; and, circling slow, Marks each loose straggler in the deep below, Sweeps down like lightning, plunges with a roar. And bears his struggling victim to the shore. The long-housed fisherman beholds with joy The well-known signals of his rough employ ; And, as he bears his nets and oars along. Thus hails the welcome season with a song : — THE FISIIEHMAN'S HYMN. The Osprey sails above the sound ; The geese are gone, the gulls are flying; The herring-shoals swarm thick around ; The nets are launched, the boats are [ilying. Yo, ho, my hearts ! let's seek the deep, Haise high the song, and cheerly wish her, Still, as the bending net we sweep, ' God bless the Fish-hawk and the fisher ! ' She brings us flsli : she brings us spring. Good times, fair weather, warmth, and plenty; Fihe store of shad, trout, herring, ling. Sheep's-head and drum, and old-wiveg dainty. ifti' 57 THE FISH-HAWK. Yo, ho, my liourts! lot's «et>k the (loop I'ly ovory ,mr, aiul choorly ^vihI, |„.r' Ktill n» the iK.n.lin^; net wo Hwoop ' Uoa blesH tl... FiBh.lmwk an.I the flnher I ' She rears lior youtiff on yonder tree • She loaves hor fl.ithful nmte to rnin.l 'em • Liko us, f.,r fish, Hho sails to sea, An.I, vUmnlun, hI,„wh us whor'o to fln.l 'cm ^'•.l.o,n.yl,oarts! lot's sook the .loop, " \y every oar, an.I ohoerly wish hor, Wlnle the slow-hon.linK not we swoop ' O.Kl bless the Fish-huwk and the fisher I ' " AlvEXANUEn WiLSOJT. Hood ,;;■ !'::;:;. ::.""",:;"""'• ",'■" '•'■ "'" -■« '- week hiiov T I i: .1 x V ' ^''^ IfHuilos ahoiit a o.i,e,.,;.,ic„„,,. Tl,,' 1 ,;:„:",*■";"" ,r-^ «■■"" "■« of n- ORNITHOLOr.Y AND OOLOGY. if : n: 1 111 seen sailing together towards the shores, to collect the drifted seaweeds, with which they line the nest anew. They alight on the beach, search for the dryest and largest weeds, collect a mass ot them, clench them in their talons, and fly towards their nest, with the materials dangling beneath. They both alight and labor tocrether. In a fortnight, the nest is complete, and the female deposits her eggs." The nest is generally placed in a large tree in the imme- diate vicinity of the water, either along the seashore, on the maroins of the inland lakes, or by some large river. It is, however, sometimes to be seen in the interior of a wood, a mile or more from the water. I have concluded, that, in the latter case, it was on account of frequent disturbance, or attempts at destruction, that the birds had removed from their usual haunts. The nest is very large, sometimes meas- uring fully four fcet across, and is composed of a quantity of inaterials sufficient to render its depth equal to its diam- eter. Large sticks, mixed with seaweeds, tufts of strong grass, and other materials, form its exterior, while the in- terior is composed of seaweeds and finer grasses. I have not observed that any particular species of tree is preferred by the Fish-hawk. It places its nest in the fork of an oak or a pine with equal jAeasure. But I have observed that the tree chosen is usually of considerable size, and not un- frequently a decayed one. The Fish-hawk is gregarious, and often breeds in colonies of three or four nests in an area of a few acres. The males assist in incubation. I have heard of instances of as many as a dozen nests being found in the distance of half a mife on the coast of New Jersey. In New England, the species is not so plentiful, and sel- dom more than one nest can be found in one locality. The flight of the bird is strong, vigorous, and well sustained. As he flies over the ocean, at a height of perhaps fifty THE FISH-HAWK. 59 sometimos immersed to ho arv quills fringed, legs seuerally rather f " ' * " ^ ^^ ' ^^,;, ^f the ear Liatic genus iK.„,., rno. c. less .a^ er^, ^'fljjl^-i,, , J, ^„u.e., :SSL ri^:;i. g?;: 7L. U..L ....y peeuHar and .equently catlike expression. Female larger than the male. 'Sub-Family Bvbo^i^m. -The Horned Oivls. 11 III BUBO, CiviF.K. B,M C-vtEV. Rc^gne Animal, I. ^^l <^';^;^; ,. ,^,.^,i ,, ,,;„, ronspicuouB Si.e la^g.. general ...nu very rohus nd F- '^^ ^ ^ ,^^^« J ^,,,„^, ,,,,,y '•IS^r^Lles the large Horned O^KorC^O^K^ lalle.l. These birds are most nunun.us m Asu. ana countries about tiftcen species. BUBO YlUVAmk'&'GS. — Bonnpnrte. The Great Horned Owl. ,. • • r^ Sv.t Xat L2h7(lT88)- Bonap. Syn., p. 37. Nutt., 5. Slrix Vir'iminnn.Cim. ^^^t. >\ai-, i- ■" ' ^ / 124. Wilson, Audubon, and others. c,. n«qn B„6„«w;m, Swains. Faun. Bur. Am. Bn-ds p. Sb (1831). ;:;:::;r:.irr ^; r.:r :':r«;'ir.u.„, ;.„,. .... .,.,. ™ THE GREAT HORNED OWL. bn' ,, , "'"•"^ "^'^''^ftoial disc tipped wftl 1 1 l " '•""'''^h-fulvous, usually '"■■- «'« picture of hearing i,u I- 2 /T ™""''= ^ »"»" """ "■'■" "-"taiuod ,1,0 Co "wf, :,'"'"""'■•'■-'-'' ""» slioros or Lake L'ml.ago.r- our .,V ?"'^""',,ed „„ the oveHook,„g the lake, J,d b ,M "*°''"" "" » ^'''^ ""'■ '"■'" ■'■••I'- "'" -vcet follower of o d vC ^1 '!'' """ verean-akened l.y the hooting^ „,■ „' "^ ^ , ' "''"" "« *"», /..», /wo/" or " Who e,mkT °"" ""^ " ««« ""''s, " II;-,^/,, '■-vcller understood it vh,, "' f"" ' "'^ ""^ ^^'-t '■■ '■■■"-"■■ce alu,„«t over our '"";""« »-''i--od ,„ u, """II"-''' t""k U|, the tl,en,e -...d I, 7 'l"*""'-''! ^ l"'«e„lly ;-;" «"-oir n„i,,ed „,: ■ z :ci. "'«"'""■•■ ■^•'"■' l»l<«, came the shrill, moarnful , . ' " ""'"-^ "1' "'" 'I- was eoutiuucd a„d"a v ' d > ,r''™" "'■ "'° '^°»" ^ •^"«' this had Uied alri, ; ;:'„"'''',,';«l-''l™.« sounds. '' '"'^l' '.«ar our ,„„t the .l 1, J '' """• """« «""^' f''"». s^^ 62 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. cannot imagine the effect produced by the contrast : he must be on the spot in the dark night, and, through the sighnig of the winds amid the grand old trees, hear the owls and loons ; then, silence, broken by the beautiful song of the Nightni- gale. . , The flioht of the Great Horned Owl is rapid, noiseless, and vigomis : he passes through the mazes of the forest with great dexterity and ease ; and, when flymg above the trees, frequently soars in the manner of the Hawks. He is very destructive among domestic poultry, frequently pouncing on fowls that are roosting on trees in the night, and bearing them off in his powerful grasp. This habit has rendered him obnoxious to the farmers, who lose no opportunity lor destroying him. Rabbits, grouse, and other birds, fall vic- tims to his rapacity ; and I have often shot imlividuals of this species, whose feathers were so impregnated with the peculiar odor of the skunk as to be unbearable at a near approach. When a flock of crows discover the presence ot one ot these birds, they immediately collect from all quarters, and attack him on every side, uttering their harsh, discordant cries : the owl is kept dancing and dodging on the limb, his perch, hi a ludicrous manner ; if he takes to flight, he is pursued by his enemies, and soon forced to alight. I have often been enabled to procure a specimen, by lollowmg a noisy mob of this description ; just as we often are able to secure one of the smaller owls by proceeding to the copae where numbers of small birds - cat-birds, chewinks, and thrushes — arc scolding at their enemy. I liave had several specimens of the Great Horned Owl in captivity : they make amusing pets. When fed with raw meat, they seldom take it fi-eely from the hand or tongs; and often can be made to swallow it, only by our opening their bills, and putting in the meat. They seem to have the power of seeing by daylight; for, if a living animal is introduced into their cage, they instantly seize it. I have &1 If*' Ui iill it f ^1 '! vJ! il ubour ■ ■[' ; i iC ! b(.'l --( su.i! Okfat IIoHNF.n Owi-, Piiho Vin/iiiidiins. RoimpnctP. i- THE GREAT HuRNED OWL, ,);!, . r ;f ',': '* *."'- """'• '""^ »**^ '«■ '^ I"-l.Hr l,at ( id 8Mml, but, a(t,. kill,,,, va, rejoc.ed. Tho sfo,,^ "..-ky^coMt ,«„,.„■ .. M,«, a,m„ak ,„ay l.avo bee,, tl,:; . ,«„ for H,. „,vr, ,„„ „ati,.B ,t: if ,„„, J „a,„,„| .,„„„„. 1.1 catinj? its r„.o3., tho Owl siaud. on it with both feet, and tears it wi h m bill : if tho pieco torn off is la.vo, tho head )s thrower back.a.u] tlu) n.poatc.1 ccitraction of "the nuiscl.s oi tho flu oat ; ■ ; 1 '•, 1 1 r ' ' ! hohhiip- a iiioiiso or othiu- m it, ''ii« tmiiiig his head, at the Mrini.' or stnuii). And- ' ' •. of > t if< con.-fr'ir'*!-;! ' leavos, trrassi ■ ill n umbo r : (*ouM>tiiii ^ ' ' ' mih a iiat I 1. ubouf tile middh' *■}{ ■ '■'■ beec:, M,ar;i:i. I nit of twigs and sticks :t}-: in tlie middle oi ■ 1. J h i ^ I II (i- 'h m .:-■ •i "•Si^ J- ■.i^ Ne^ .;^^; often J l>y whii soizod i pertillo seized, musky s reason i ibr it. In eat tears it ^ is throwi of the til small ol)^ while the Owl, as ii and follo' time snaj In drin are taken, The Gr( most retin the studen it unless h tree, but ii tup of a sti of rocks. witli loaves ill number ^vliite color, nearly splie 2 inches. A nest tl al)out tlie ni stub of a b heing exanii bers sufficieu ■ >M ^art*". THE GREAT HOIINED OWL. -■•-d it, as if it tvt:,r ;::,a":;T aT "-' ,™'-">' O'^'-'oi, hut, arte,, bei ."V r f """"^'.'""'l' »"« i"»ta„tly ■"uxky SCO,, ,,cc„Iia ° ,, " ' "' fJ"'""''- Tl'o »t,o„K ;:o-, fo.. ti,e' owrilu ,;: ir."-r;;;T ''-'«="" '"' lor it. ® • " "*^t, 1 cannot account toat Ht,'«,1S'.'';;°'^' ''''"' "" " -'" "»"■ f«"«. and is «.™w,. b M •„ 1';;:™ '»'■» of.!-' l«.go, tl,o head of «.o .l„oat f ,.ces i do , I„ 7 7""" "' "'" '""^*' 0>vl, as i„dood do al„,o al 1 °' ""T "I'l"'""''",!, tl,i, '«o, b„t ir,:,::".- 1 ,11 ;;:: j,,"'"";" » ^o* or a tm, top of a .,,,,1, 0, ,t,„ "7° " ''"""'"Of » t,-ce 0,- i„ tl,o of rocks. It is CO t, ;ct.d , ""' " ''""" "' fi"-*"™ with leave. g,asse ' , '1^^"; 1-^ '-*='«. »"<> is li„od -l"to colo,. „ la ™; f!^ ;■' T'^ ,'""'■"■• «-^ »■■» of a -.■..s,..,;icai,:,:d'd:^rs;:ri::rtt"^v' - Indies. * "^^ '"•-'^ inclies by st„b of a beech whi h ,1 ' "" '" " '»"' ''o"""' l'ei„g cxa„,i„ed. as btilt . f""'" '"'■ "" '""'l'-« "f bo,-s sufficict to fil tircavU T '"'f ^'"'^' "' ""»- tl,e ca; ,ly : ,„ the middle of these were Wv u ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. ! ; 1, I arranged a few leaves and pieces of uiohh, and a few feath- ers from the body of the parent; on this nest wore found throe young birds, apparently but a few days old, as they were covered with gi-ay ilown, and a few grayish feath- ers. On being taken in the hiind, they clutched it tight with tlieir claws, and K(|uatted [)erfeetly still. The iris of their eyes was a light-grayish color : the inside of their mouths, eyelids, and ears, wore yellowish. At the foot of the stump were found small pellets of feathers, small bones, and hairs. I have heard of the deserted nest of a crow or hawk being occupied by this Owl ; but usually it builds its own nest. SCOPS, SwioNV. SAVifi.NY, Nat. Hist. E^^vi.t. I. 105 (180U). Sizi'sinull; oar-tut'ts loiisiii. nous; huMil liirgo; facial disc imperffct in front and alxmt tlif oyes; l)iil slmrt, marly cciveiTd hy liroji'i'tinf; ft'atiicrs; wings idiij,'; tail ratlifr siiort, and freiiucnlly curviil itnvards; tarsi ratlior itmg, niiiri- or less fully covered with short featiiers; toes long, guntTally piirtially covered with hair-like feathers; head large. General furni «hort and compact. Tlii^< genns r .ntains twenty -tive to thirty species of small owls, inhabiting all parts of the world except Australia. M^^-l .« SCOPS ASIO. — Bomiparte. The Mottled Owl ; Screech Owl ; Red Owl. Stiix Asia, Linn.Tus. Syst. Nat., L 132 { 176G). Audubon, AVilson, and others. Strlx Meviit, Gm. Syst. Xat., L 289 ( 1788). Bubo strhtiis, Vieillot. Ois. d'Am. ,Sei>t., I. C4 (1808). Dicsriiii'TioN. "Short and compact; ear-tufts prominent: tail short; tarsi rather long. ".4(/m/<. — Upper parts pale ashy-brown, with longitudinal lines of brownish-blaek, and nuittled irregularly with the same and with cinereous; under parts ashy-white, with longituilinal stripes of lirownish-l)laek, and with transverse lines of the same color: face, throat, and tarsi ashy-white, irregularly lined and mottled with iiule- brownish; (luills brown, with transverse bands, nearly white on the outer wi'bs; tail pale ashy-brown, with about ten transverse narrow bands of pale-cinereous; under wing coverts white, the larger tijiped with black ; bill and claws light horn- color; irides yellow. " }'(»/HV(fr. — Kntire upper parts pale brownish-red, with longitudinal lines of brownish-black, espeiially on the head and scapulars; face, throat, und' r winj^ coverts, and tarsi reddish-white; quills reddish-brown; tail rufous, with bands of brown, darker on the inner webs. THE MOTTLKI) OWL. 65 i"^Hir''i::rir';.i;;: :.':;r.:;i':,;;:;r"' ^^""^' •--< •-"• •"- -^ * ^-^ '"H.siial (0 find « motilfd i.„,l.. an.l ,.,.,! • ' l''"'""K''! ""I it i. net Cas«in. "" ' "'"' '"' '""">'" ««wiutcd, or the reverse.'- Jo.,.v As will, many of tl.o other l.inis of nn-v (lu> .Ilfr... . plumages in whid, this owl is taken havo .,'. fusion ; and, as Mr. Cussin tndy x n l, ^ ^T" • "'"" yet settled (.yond douht. The ' '"""'"" '^ ""^ observation luis generally been, that the young birds are in the red plumage; but I liavo cer- tainly known of one instance when the young bird was in tl»o gray. A nest was rom.d in a hollow tre<^ in iMihon, Mass., in which there were tiiroo young birds. Thev u.mv ponnittetl to n-nniin ; and 1 vis- ited the nest as often as everv two days until they Ijcw off; The last time that I saw them,' — the day before they left the' nest,- th.^' , Hdiy tiedged, and tluy had very few n.arks of brown.sh-red in tlu^ir phnnage. Whe.her this W s an except.on>dca.e,Iknownot;butJwillprese^^^ . ons o^ ddl^rent ornm..h,gists wlneh eon^^ ou . I ^^ II also quote Audubon's description of the habit; oi the bu-d, as It is better than I can give fron. my on no..eIo..s. It ,,.es at tunes aln.vo the top branches of the hb^hc-st of our ^rest trees whiU in pursuit of l^ beetles ; ^^ 6 .! t)} :;-^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I m I'd d m |M 2.2 2.0 1.8 1-25 1.4 1 6 ^ 5" » VQ *^^ ^%!!i '^1 a / # /J. /; ^. 'r Sciences Corpomtiori 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 877-4503 #%"> "<'.. #»>^' >»^^ RH 66 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. u,i r 'dm. times sails low and swiftly over the fields, or through the woods, in search of small birds, field-mice, moles, or wood-rats, from which it chiefly derives its subsistence. On alighting, - which it does plumply, — the Mottled Owl immediately bends its body, turns its head to look behind it, performs a curious nod, utters its notes, then shakes and plumes itself, and resumes its flight m search ot prey It now and then, while on the wing, produces a clickmg sound with its mandibles, but more frequently when perched near its mate or young. This I have thought was done by the bird to manifest its courage, and let the hearer know that it is not to be meddled with; although few birds of prey are more gentle when seized, as it will suffer a person to touch its feathers and caress it without attempting to bite or strike with its talons, unless at rare intcrviilSi " The notes of this Owl are uttered in a tremulous, doleful manner, and somewhat resemble the chattering of the teeth of a person under the influence of extreme cold, although much louder. They are heard at a distance of several hundred yards, and by some people are thought to be of ominous import." These notes almost exactly resemble the whimpering whine of a small dog, for which I have mistaken them on different occasions. "The little fellow is generally found about fiirm-houses, or- chards, and gardens. It alights on the roof, the fence, or the garden--ate, and utters its mournful ditty, at intervals, for hours at a time,°as if it were in a state of great suffering; although this is far from being the case, - the song of all birds being an indication of content and happiness. In a state of confinement, it utters its notes with as much satisfoction as if at liberty. They are chiefly heard during the latter part of winter, — that being the season of love, when the male bird is particularly attentive to the fair one which excites his tender emotions, and around which he flies and struts much in the manner of the common Pigeon, adding numer- ous nods and bows, the sight of which is very amusing. "The young remain in the nest until they are able to fly. At fiist, they are covered with a downy substance of a dull yellowish- white. By the jniddle of August, they are fully feathered, and THE MOTTLED OWL. 67 are then generally of a reddish-brown, although considerable differ- ences ex.st between individuals, as I have seen some of a deep- chocolate color, and others nearly black. The feathers change hen- colors as the pairing season advances, and in the first snrin^ the bird IS in the perfect dress." ° Jan' 1^" 1 «rr'''' ''f "f "' '^'' " ^"^"^*^'^ Gentleman," Jan. 11, 18bb, says that he secured two young birds of this species when covered with down, and kept them until they r^d in'cX ''^' ''^'''' *^''"" P^"^''«' ^^' ^''''^'^^y J. P. Giraud, in his " Birds of Long Island," gives a ter from J. G. Bell, of New York, intvhich that g He! man says, that he has taken the young birds from the nest, covered with grayish-brown, and kept them through theii' hrst plumage, winch was red in color. These and other writers seem to agree that the red plum- age IS that of the bird in the first year. I leave 'it to futm-e experimenters to determine the matter beyond a Tins bird feeds largely on the injurious night-flyin. moths and beetles. Numbers of specimens thai I have examined contained in their stomachs parts of these in- sects and small mammals: very seldom indeed did they liave feathers or other parts of birds trJ oft^^'"^'?i ^^'^ :"^'''' ^''' " "««t"'8-Place a hollow ttfi.! Vm 'f''^'"'^^ commences laying at about he first of May, m the latitude of the middle of Massachu- setts. 7 he nest is made at the bottom of the hollow, and IS constructed of grass, leaves, moss, and sometimes a few fea hers It is not elaborately made, being nothing n.ore than a heap of soft materials. The eggs are usually four HI number: they are pure-white, smooth, and nearly spher- ical 111 form. Their length varies from 1.80 to 1.37 inch • orea th from 1.18 to 1.25 inch. Both parents assisrin' incubation, and the same pair occupy the nest for succeed- ing years. i :'■- 68 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. OTUS, CuviER. Otu3, CrviER, Rt'gne Animal, L 327 (1817). General form longer and more slender than in the preceding genera; head mod- erate; ear-tults long, erectile; bill rather short, curved Crom tlie base; facial disc more perfect than in the preceding; -vvings long; tail moderate; tarsi and toes cov- ered with short feathers; claws long, curved; eyes rather small, and surrounded by radiating feathers. This genus contains ten or twelve species of various countries, nil of which are more handsome birds than are usually met with in this family. it ■i ifi'T. nil: OTUS WILSONIANUS. — Z,esson. The Long-eared Owl. Otus Wilsonianvg, Lesson. Traite d'Orn., L 110 (1831). Olus Americanus, Bonaparte. Comp. List, 7 (1838). Syn., 37. Strix otus, Wilson. Bonaparte's edition, 449. Strix otus, Linuoeus. Aud. Orn. liiog., IV. 572. Nuttall, I. 130. DEsciarxioN. Ear-tufts long and conspicuous; eyes rather small; wings long; tarsi and toes densely feathered; upper parts mottled with brownish-black, fulvous, and asliy- white, the former predominating; breast pale-fulvous, with longitudinal stripes of brownish-black; abdomen white; every feather with a wide longitudinal stripe, and with transverse stripes of brown isii-black; legs anC toes pale-fulvous, usually unspotted, but frequently with irregular narrow transverse stripes of dark-brown ; eye nearlv encircled with black; other feathers of the face ashy-white, with niinuie lines of black; ear-tut^s brownish-black edged with fulvous and ashy-wliite; (pulls pale-fulvous at their bases, with irregular transverse bands of brown; inferior coverts of the wing pale-fulvous, frequently nearly white ; the larger widely tipped with bUick; tail brown, with several irreguhir transverse bands of ashy-fulvous, wliich arc mottled, as on the quills; liill aud claws dark horn-color; irides yellow. Total length, female, about filteen inches; wing, eleven to eleven and a halt; tail, six inches. Male rather smaller. This species is rather common in New England, rather preferring the less settled districts to the others. It is eminently nocturnal in its habits, and has the power of see- ing in the daytime to a less degree than any of the other species with which I am acquainted. A specimen that I once had, as a pet, could not see my hand as it approached him, and would permit my finger to touch his eye before he drew over it the thin nictitating membrane given to all birds to protect this delicate organ. I do not remember of ever hearing this owl utter a cry THE LONG-EARED OWL. 69 111 Its nocturnal rambles; and I think that it hunts in silence, except, perhaps, in the mating season. Tlie specimen in my possession would not eat in the day- time ; and, if I fed it then, was obliged to push the food down Its throat with my finger: at night, it fed readily on raw meat, but was rather loath to eat when I was by, or when a lamp was near its cage. I had water always accessible to It, but never saw it drink, and think, that, in the space of two months, it drank not more than two or three times ; or If It did, the quantity it took was so small as not to bo appreciable. Notwithstanding the comparative abundance of this spe- cies. Its breeding habits are not well known. I have been so fortunate as to find several nests, all of which were built 111 forks of tall pines, and constructed of twigs and leaves Audubon says : — ^ " The Long-eared Owl is careless as to the situation in which Its young are to be reared, and generally accommodates itself witJi the abandoned nest of some other bird that proves of sufficient size, whether it be high or low, in the fissure of a rock or on the ground. Sometimes, however, it makes a nest itself; and this I found to be the case in one instance near the Juniata River, in lennsylvania, where it was composed of green twigs, with the leaflets adhering, and lined with fresh grass and wool, but without any feathers." Wilson describes its breeding habits as follows : — "About six or seven miles below Philadelphia, and not far from the Delaware, is a low swamp, thickly covered with trees, and inundated during a great part of the year. This place is the resort of great numbers of the qua bird (xNight Heron), where they build in large companies. On the 2oth of April, while wading through the dark recesses of this place, observing the habits of these birds, I discovered a Long-eared Owl, which had taken possession of one ot their nests, and was setting. On mounting to the nest, I found It contained four eggs; and, breaking one of them, the youn-. appeared almost ready to leave the shell. There were numbers of |l h 70 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. the qua birds' nests on the adjoinhig trees all around, and one of them actually on the same tree." The reader will perceive from the above account of the breeding habits of this bird, that it is variable in its choice of a nesting-place, although every nest that I have found, or known of, was built in tall pines, and constructed as above ; and I have known instances where the same nest was used for successive breeding seasons. The e'^gs are generally four in number, seldom more. They are nearly spherical in form, and of a pure-white color. Dimensions of specimens in my collection vary from 1.40 to 1.60 inch in length, by from 1.30 to 1.40 inch in breadth. BRACHYOTUS, Gould. Brachyotm, Gould, Proo. Zool. Soc, London, 1837, 10. Ear-tutlts very short and inconspicuous; general form rather strong; wings long; tail moderate; legs rather long, which, with the toes, are fully covered with short feathers; claws long, very sharp, and rather slender; head moderate; eyes rather small, surrounded by radiating feathers; facial disc imperfect on the forehead and above the eyes; tail moderate. This genus contains four or five species only, the two best known of which are the European. BEACHTOTUS CASSINII. — 5re!oer. The Short-eared Owl. Brachyoim Cassinii, Brewer. Proc. Boston Soc. of Nat. Hist. Struc brachyotus, Forster. Phil. Trans., London, LXIL 384 (1772). Slrix brachyotus, Linua;us. Wilson and others. Description. Ear-tufts very short ; entire plumage buff or pale- fulvous ; everj' feather on the upper parts with a wide longitudinal stripe of dark-brown, which color predominates on the back; under parts paler, frequently nearly white on the abdomen, with longitudinal stripes of brownish-black, most numerous on the breast, very narrow and less numerous on the abdomen and flanks ; legs and toes usually of a deeper shade of the same color as the abdomen; quills pale reddish-fulvous at their bases, brown at their ends, with wide irregular bands and large spots of reddish-fulvous ; tail pale reddish-fulvous, with about five irregular transverse bands of dark-brown, which color predominates on the two central feathers; under tail coverts usually nearly white; throat white; eyes enclosed by large spots of brownish-black; ear- tufts brown, edged with fulvous; bill and claws dark; irides yellow. Total length, female, about fifteen inches; wing, twelve; tail, six inches. Male rather smaller. THE GRAY OWLS. 71 I regret being unable to add any tiling to our knowledge of the history of this bird. I l^ave had no opportunities for observing its habits, and know of nothing that has been noted recently which will add to our information. It is not common in any part of New England, and is, I believe more often met with in the neighborhood of the seacoast than elsewhere. I have never met with its nest, but have no doubt that it breeds in these States, as specimens are occasionally taken here in summer. Richardson says that its nest is formed of withered grass and moss, and is built on the ground. Dr. Bryant (" Pro ceedings of Boston Society of ^Natural History," January, l«o7) describes a nest found on an island in the Bav of Fundy as follows : — "A nest of this bird was found by Mr. Cabot in the midst of a dry peaty bog. It was built on the ground, in a very slovenly manner, of small sticks and a few feathers, and presented hardlv hafched'"''''^'''"' ^^ '^"'''^""'^ ^^"^ ^SS^ «^ the point of being The eggs of this species are of a pure-white color, and vary in dimensions from 1.65 inch by 1.25 inch to 1.50 inch by 1.23 inch. Suh-Famihj ^xum^M. — The Gray Owls. Head large with ver>^ small and concealed ear-tufts, or entirely without. Facial d,sc nearly perfect, eyes small for the family of owls ; wings rather shortorntso o„g as m the preceding, tarsi and toes generally fully feathered. This group con- qu'ursmall. " '''' ""' ""'^ ' ^'^"^""^'' '"''''"'^'' ^-^^ -'^ '^ -'"-' -d Z SYRNIUM, Savigny. Syrniim, Savigny, Nat. Hist. Egypt, I. lit (1809). Size usually large; head large, without ear-tufts, eyes rather small- facial disc somewhat imperfect in front, bill strong, curved from' its base,™ ^ n o^; " mewha rounded, fourth and fifth quills longest, tail rather lo;g, wfde,7nd utS ally rounded at the end, legs moderate, or rather long, which, wi h the toesle densely covered with short feathers; claws long, strong, very shaq,. »\l I- i oi :fl 72 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. Species of this genus inhabit principally the northern parts of the world, and are generally characterized by the prevalence of gray or cinereous, of various shades, in their plumage. STENIUM CINEREDM. — ^urfuJon. The Great Gray Owl. Strix cinerea, Gm. Syst. Nat., L 291 (1788). Aud. Orn. Biog., IV. 884. Strix accUmator, Bartram. Travels, 289 (1790). Description. The largest Owl of North America. Head very large; eyes small; tail rather long; upper parts smoky or ashy brown, mottled and frnnsversely barred with ashy-white; under parts ashy-white, with numerous longitudinal stripes of dark ashy-brown predominating on the breast, and with transverse stripes of the same on the abdomen, legs, and under tail coverts ; quills brown, with about five wide, irregu- lar bands of ashy-white; tail brown, with five or six wide, irregular bands of ashy- •vvhite, mottled with dark-brown; feathers of the disc on the neck tipped with white; eye nearly encircled by a black spot; radiating feathers around the eye, with regular transverse narrow bars of dark-brown and ashy-white; bill pale-yellow; claws pale yellowish-white, darker at their tips ; iris bright-yellow. Total length, twenty-five to thirty inches; wing, eighteen; tail, twelve to fifteen inches. This bird is an extremely rare winter visitor in New Eng- land ; appearing only in the southern districts of these States, in Massachusetts even, in very severe seasons. I never saw one alive ; have, of course, never seen its nest, and can add nothing at all to our knowledge of its habits. It breeds in the most northern regions ; and, according to Dr. Brewer, " nests in high trees." Its eggs I have never seen. Audubon gives the following account of this spe- cies : — "The comparatively small size of this bird's eyes rentiers it probable that it hunts by day ; and the remarkable smallness of its feet and claws induces me to think that it does not prey on large animals. Dr. Richardson says, that ' it is by no means a rare bird in the fur countries ; being an inhabitant of all the woody districts lying between the Lake Superior and latitudes 67° or 68°, and between Hudson's Bay and the Pacific. It is common on the borders of Great Bear Lake ; and there, and in the higher parallels of latitude, it i mst pursue its prey, during the summer months, by daylight. It keeps, however, within the woods, and does not fre- quent the barren grounds, like the Snowy Owl; nor is it so often met 1 I 11.) lill'i ii i ^^B f U ii.1 l^^l km H f ■ ''B ■i l^'- ■ £ R ;M H||. ^M ■1 ^l..J Bauked Owr,, Synimm nehulosum. Gray, l^;;;I tltii>, ".'h it'll 11 liililvoii ?TEKIi- liulu-Wlli: I. I ■ UfiUlliV inmon in most ■' ■■ u ■• .-n in the uiun; ^ Mtcntly ixiet \v::li In ,....(■ ;,.,,.. • hody givii, . '• ' ' iight as in . ■■>.•■ ui ■'M.r.t ui' our (jiiicr owis. i^" f<.r a n^w weeks, oftou, in the iiuniuic, ... v,-liidi his eap:; wa.^ K'-v.-i .] • 1m' '■-ii 3 tiight is iiul 'I THE nvriRRD OWL. 78 h H, I,roa.I .layl,«ht «s tl.o Hawk Owl, but hunts princinallv vvl.nn of tl „ woods arc «le..,>Iy sl.a.low...!, that .ho Ameriran Hare a, 1 M Audubon Hpoaks of a scntlonmn in Salom, Mass wlm kop one of tl.^0 l.inls alive lor HcvenU montl^: Uw^s^d "n f.sh and sn.all hirds, of whicl, it was very ibnd. It rood H .n.s a tronndons ory, not unliko that o/tho little Co ' o.H6aoj.s ano), and showed a great antipathy to cats and SYBNIDM NEBULOSUM.-C,v,y. The Barred Owl. T, , , I^KSCHIITION. ^.w;;V";]:s.rr ::^;;:':,:';::r"- -^^^^ ^-^^ '-^^ -"-^-". tarsi and ....s a.l,v-wl,it.. , n ' , J ' " ,' ''"■^"""<""" •'fip..s of bn.wn , ;-'^" ' - ^'^''i " iu!':;;;;.;;; ;:sr : '^r '"" ^"'"' '"" '^^'""-•^^ '.•..., nearly pnro-white o„ ,h« onU-r Ju. , I 1 1 ""^ T '"''"' '■"""^^'^^'•-''^ li«l>t-l.nnvn, with „.,ont fiv ban.il of w], "'''•"- f'"."^ "" "'« "'"" w.l.., tail or -.lack in front 'of ,„e s -iul k l:''.''i ""'; ''"'^ "•■ "^""•"' """ « '^P"' iridos l.lui,.i,.|,la..k. Hev;, i.lillo '^"'^-^'°'"' ' ^■'""■« ''om-color; bill pale-yellow j SeJ::;.^,;:^?-;'!:::::: '-'-' ^in,, thirteen to A,„rteen; tai.. „i„e i„ehes. This Owl is rather common in most sections of New Enjr- lo^d s more oft.n seen in the more southern loclli^^ ^nd le s frequently met with in sections where the r w Horned Owl is most abundant, and .loe . J It fli^ " v\lu T ! ^^ ^'"'"^ '* remarkable speed Its loom m which his cage was placed: he alighted with i h '4 1 : m - Fill 3 k. \^ii 74 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. ease on the backs of chairs, or oii other pieces of furnituro ; seldom miscalcnlating the dista:ice or missing a footing, as many of the other owls would in the same circumstances. Tiiis bird soon became tame, and would accept food at almost any time in the day or night: on receiving a piece of meat, he sometimes attempted +o clutch it with his foot, and my fingers often had narrow escapes from his sharp, crooked talons. Usually, he would seize it with his mouth, and, if not too large, swallow it without tearing : if the piece was more bidky than he could manage, he stood on it, and tore it with his beak. Fisli hj invariably rejected, but greedily ate mice and small birds : a dead pigeon, that I put in his cage, was untouched for several days. He died in conse- quence of a hurt he received in flying against a window. The Barred Owl subsists principally upon small birds, field-mice, and reptiles. He is frequently seeri, in early twilight, flying over the low meadow lands, searching for the mice that dwell there : he usually takes a direct course, and sometimes flies so low that the tips of his wings seem to touch the grass. W.hen lie discovers his prey, he drops on it instantly, folding his wings and protruding his feet, in which his quarry is always secured : he often captures frogs that are sitting on th.j shores of ponds and rivers ; but I am inclined to think that the statement, quoted by Audubon, that he often catches fish, is incorrect. The Barred Ovv^l usually nests in high trees, placing the structure of sticks and leaves in a crotch near the trunk. The eggs are usually three n number. I have one only in my collection : this is pure-white, almost globular, and, except in shape, ha -dly distinguishable from the egg of the domestic hen. It is 2 inches hi length by 1.68 in brerdtli. NICTALE, Brehm. Nyctale, Brehm, Isis (1828), 1271. Size small; head with very small enr-tufts, only observable when erected; eyes small; bill moderate, or not very strong; facial disc nearly perfect; v/inga rather long; tail short; legs and toes densely feathered. :^'^'.::.''\'r ^''^■'."A THE SAW-WHET OWL. 75 Contains five species of small and quite peculiar owls, fo'^r of which are Amen- can, and one European. NYCTALE RlCEARDSOmi. — Bonaparte. The Sparrow Owl. Nyclale Richauhonii, Bonr.parte. Comp. List, 1 (1838). " Strix Ttmjmalmi, Gm." Aud. Orn. Biog., IV. 559, and other American authors. Description. The largest of this genus; wings long; upper parts pale reddish-brown, tinged with o'lve, and with partially concealed spots of white, most numerous on tiie head and neck behind, scapulars, and rump; head in front with numerous spots of white- face white, with a spot of black in front of the eye; throat with brown stripes;' under parts ashy-white, with longitudinal stripes of pale reddish-brown; legs and toes pale-yellowish, nearly white, sometimes barred and spotted with brown; quills brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges, and li.rge spots of the same on their inner webs; tail brown, every feather with about ten pairs of white spots; bill light-j'cllowish horn-color; irides yellow. Total length, about ten and a half inches; wing, seven and a half inches; tail four a^fi a half inches. ' This species is an exceedingly rare winter visitor in New England. I have never met with it alive, and can give from my own observation no account of its habits. Dr. Richardson, in the " Fauna Boreali-Americana," says : — " ^Vhen it accidentally wanders abroad in the day, it is so much dazzled by the light of the sun as to become stupid ; and it may then be easily cauglit by the hand. Its cry in the night is a single melancholy note, repeated at intervals of a minute or two. Mr. Hutchins says that it builds a nest of grass half-way up a pine-tree, and lays two white eggs in the month of May." NYCTALE kCkmCk. — Bonaparte. The Saw-Whet Owl; Acadican Owl. fitrix Acadica, Gm. Syst. Nat., L 296 (1788). Bonap. Syn., 38. Nuttall and other authors. " Strix passerina, Linnoeus." Wilson, Am. Orn., IV. 66. Description. Small; wings long; tail short; upper parts reddish-brown, tinged with olive- head m front with fine lines of white, and on the neck behind, rump, and scapulars' with large, partially concealed spots of white; face ashy-white; throat white; under parts ashy-white, with longitudinal stripes of pale reddish-brown; under coverts 76 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. J ' t I of wings and tail white; quills brown, with small npots of white on their outer edges, and large spots of the same on tlieir inner webs; tail brown, every feather witli about three pairs of spots of white; bill and claws dark; irides yellow. Total length, about seven and a half to eight inches; wing, five and a half inches; tail, two and three quarters to three inclies. Sexes nearly the same size, and alike in colors. This species is also quite rare in New England ; but, as it is occasionally found in the summer months, is probably a resident hero through the year. Says Audubon, in his description of this bird, which is very full and perfect : — " The Little Owl is known in Massachusetts by the name of the ' Saw-whet,' the sound of its love-notes bearing a great resemblance to the noise produced by filing the teeth of a large saw. These notes, when coming, as they frequently do, fVom the interior of a deep forest, produce a very peculiar ofFect on the traveller, who, not being aware of their real nature, expects, as he advances on his route, to meet with shelter imder a saw-mill at no great distance. Until I shot the bird in the act, I had myself been more than once deceived in this manner. " A nest of our Little Owl, which I found near the city of Natchez, was placed in the broken stump of a small decayed tree, not more than four feet from the ground. I was attracted to it by the snor- in"' notes of the young, which sounded as if at a considerable elevation ; and I was so misled by them, that, had not n.y dog raised himself to smell at the hole where die brood lay concealed, I might not have discovered them. In diis instance, the number was five. It was in the beginning of June ; and the little things, which were almost ready to fly, looked exceedingly neat and beaud- ful. Their parents I never saw, abhough I frequently visited the nest before diey left it. The LitUe Owl breeds more abundandy near die shores of die Adantic than in the interior of the country, and is frequent in ilie swamps of die States of Maryland and New Jersey during the whole year. Wherever I have found the young or die eggs placed in a hollow tree, diey were merely deposited on the rotten particles of wood ; and, when in an old crow's nest, die latter did not appear to have undergone any repair. Being quite nocturnal, it shows great uneasiness when disturbed by day, and flies off in a hurried, uncertain manner, throwing itself into the THE SNOWY OWL. 77 first covert that it meets with, where it is not difficult to catch it, provided the necessary caution and silence be used. Towards dusk, it becomes full of animation, flies swiftly — gliding, as it were — over the low grounds like a little spectre, and pounces on small quadrupeds and birds with the quickness of thought." The Saw-whet Owl nests in hollow trees, in cavities of rocks, and in deserted crows' and woodpeckers' nests. The eggs are from three to five or six in number ; and, according to Dr. Brewer, are of a bright, clear white, and more like a woodpecker's than an owl's in their crystalline clearness. Dimensions, 1^2^ by {^ inch. Sub-Family Nycteinin^. — ITie Day Owls. General fomi compact and robust; head moderate, without car-tufts; wings and tail rather long; tarsi strong, which, with the toes, are more densely covered than in any other division of this family. Tliis division embraces two species only, which inhabit the arctic regions of both continents ; migrating southward in the winter. NYCTEA, Stephens. Nyctea, Stephens, Cont. of Shaw's Zool., XIII. 62 (1826). Large; head rather large, without ear-tufts; no fijcial disc; legs rather short, and witli tlic toes covered densely witii long hair-lilve feathers, nearly concealing the claws; bill short, nearly concealed by projecting feathers, very strong; wings long; tail moderate, or rather long, wide; claws strong, fully curved. Contains one spe- cies only. NYCTEA NIVEA. — G The Snowy Owl. ray. Strix vh-ea, Dandin. Traite d'Orn., 190 (ISOO). Strix nycttn, Linnoeus. Syst. Nat. I. 132 (1766). " Stvix vyctea, Linmeus." Bonap. Syn., 36. Nutt. I. 116. And. II. 135. Wil- son and others. PESCniPTION. Bill nearly concealed by projecting plumes; eyes large; entire plumage white, fre- quently with a few spots or imperfect bands, only on the upjier parts dark-bi-own, and on tiie under parts with a few irregular and imperfect bars of the same; quills and tail with a few spots or traces of bands of the same dark-brown; the prevalence of H| 78 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. ';.-; the dark-brown color varies much in diflFerent specimens ; frequently both upper and under parts are very distinctly banded transversely, and sometimes this color pre- dominates on tlie buck; plumage of the legs and toes pure snowy-white; bill and claws horn-color; irides yellow. Total length, female, about twenty-six inches; wing, seventeen to nineteen; tail, ten inches. Male, about twenty-two inches ; wing, seventeen ; tail, nine inches. As a winter visitor, principally on the seacoast, this bird is a rather common species. It is often taken on the islands in Massachusetts Bay, where it feeds on fish that have been thrown up on the shore by the tide, birds, wounded sea- fowl, and even dead animals, as I am informed by a reliable person who once shot one while perched on and eating a dead horse on the beach. The flight of this Owl is rapid and protracted. I have seen an individual chase and cai> ture a Snow Bunting (P. nivalis) from a flock; and once saw one make a swoop at a flock of poultry which had come out from their house on a fine day, but which immediately retreated on the appearance of their enemy. The Snowy Owl hunts both in the daylight and twilight: he seems to prefer cloudy, gloomy days to bright ones, and is most active just before a storm. Audubon says that this Owl captures living fish in the water by standing quietly by the margin, and seizing its prey with its claws, as it ajjpears near the surface : whether this is a regular habit or not, I cannot say. I never saw one do so ; and I have conversed with several hunters who have shot numbers of specimens, and they all were ignorant of such a fact. Of the breeding habits of this Owl, we are ignorant. The Hudson's Bay, and other northern countries, are its summer homos. Wheelwright, in his " Spring and Sum- mer in Lapland," gives the only description of its nest and eggs accessible to me at present. He says : — " The egg of the Snowy Owl measures 2J inches in length, and 1| inches in breadth: its color is pure-white. The nest is nothing more than a large boll of reindeer moss, placed on the ledge of a bare fell. The old birds guard it most jealously ; in fact, the Lap- landers often kill them with a stick when they are robbing the %. :^^.. '■^.-.^ ;? '^ } bird :i the IsUuhIs .Uuig :ii\ni\ •md caji- '. ; uad oiu''!> ■■. iiich Itsid «'Oii\!" • . , 1,.,;. „ iiivth iniiia'di:iiv!j i!i"ir I'p.cirv The Siirnw ■ '• laosL .ludiiUju «uv«3 timt tins Owl i,ln: (Vaicr by standing}: <,'iaet!y bv the .Ls prey wjtii i'St <■!■ '• :•> it a[j[)ears ^■•t her this Js a r->" it or uui;, 1 • nav. isnr di't Mi; . ■ invci'sed rs wb(j irit nnutUoi-s of spticiuions, :ir- :^l3cll a ft't;t. • it ti ' ■;■ igiiortint, ■' ..';. i:iv ill uuuiitrieH, iifo itn '\i... . • bia "■ .Sprintr and Sum- i''''''-s fi. fiuti'Mi of U^ !it:*st and Uu Si., issniMlft'S 2| il!'.!h(!S ill lt'l»f|;|}: -«hiU'. 'I - , piactd v