Copied from Journal. Mansfichusetts, mm. // a> d*r?z^ tft &5f7fyfzS^ ^&£f r s /%2z> /Zt strS ts-c* /zy^zfts - (77^. £) hvtv>v^ *«w As ^W,- 6$ ^vvv ^ ik Ct*x\A^4-'£y lh •>■ / - /Cu| Ivin. * VwW '^ J*(XV*v-»^ v\ 4 rfVC^v'v '^# t/ ^ U A* <&*s*A+ 94 £+4**+4* Aa* 4. cJ c (.^1 /^ZICl£j (Z-Zc ^/X/IczPz, £cZ£ ^tZ f ^^XZc^^Qry~ (Zc^t cZ£ Zd^XciZ ^Z^l£Z> / -/X /u^l^- 4^£7^ ££L /^y ^ccn^ C^ /ll clZ^CL ££& £ a^L^-e^ / ' /£a- /la- z Xj.z X # /Zcz, cl'Zq /zc£^ £ £cZ47^ z£ £ /X-zX y/£~L^, duZ Zzz^fcr £ y L^£xy y '(? "uu^e^ Z'd'l. <^T< C / C '•» &-£. /<,. a XZc ^'.‘i £i//^yv^ C( Ca£r~c Zcij c £ ^u^c^ettZCL ^XXXc^ZZyi^LZd X/XyzZxi CL CZe^ hsZd ^> £*^ZZy££j~ £e- fZzZ^ZZ^e^ /lc£C:.^ aJZin. - ££. 'a- J /:> ^ V* i £> X^€zX ^Xa- /cL-Z-cJt- ‘/ZZC^O j&z “Habits of Western Birds,” — Buteo swainsoni, Icterus bullocki, Stellula caliove.^Corvus americanus. and G. corax. — (v. SSSb bv Dr. W. J. Hnff- man ' Aner, NatarallBt, VoUO.Mar, 1738. Grasshoppers and Ha-uiks. By Dr. C. Hart Meniam. Ibid., pp. 455-456- —Great numbers of grasshoppers caught bv Hawks, especially Buteo swainsoni. STOr, L : trs? XQ, VOlc 81 - -See Jt 7, /JuuflflUa °~f (y SI Jift/ ft ft ft y ftfti (c ftyft QJq 'kATr£ejpA. \S --ia^ (ftdftft ft , ftft&ftft /(jftiA-C- £tu rfzv ^5 (ft /ft h ft C (ft- i-C Ay/ /i, X- c (tUftft) 'ftftftvftft ( -'O" ^ruyu^Jp U'uft ^ft-v /(. lj t ' V. c£^ ^ t--\ . z^' /^2^'r^cy'u - £', i r / , vr^ &3i #-/ .. /' /( ^ 4/ 0. <^>2 . , r „ /?%> r , ^ _ / j£.j ZjZ /^e- ??^z^7 ^ <4^/- f 'Z/Ci^s/c i/t^y ('i-; ~ /■ t y^L* y Xr'C'-c.G.. ^Z^eyi.^ 4h^,<% £ -r l. (? .< . ..„. A-P > /7/^, f . /"'/a., y~iyi^K) Cc 'L--C t -y J>Vv.. c -t. - ^ / on. “Habits of Western Birds,” — Buteo swainsoni, Icterus bullocki, Stellula caliope, Corvus americanus. and G.. corax . — to. 238V bv Dr. W. J. 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'■/ *.•- tv r„ y *,. , "' w “ ' .•'* .jwv r-vv-tC «i ? > 4(.C- ^ -y ^ w->^ C / 1 , ,/ * .ft ^ ,*#jur w/lk $7 La+./-£l*-4 vA^^ 4 £^ ^ 7 ^JrV t - \*4^i v ^ s 0- ,< fr / * r / • .- c> /f* > ^ a. A / 9 Ui. ■ , : J, iV- v > t / ., {.!... j :\ -y- vi es /• / i><>w U- /py/fip / S' Z^/f. c GGiyo , /A^y,4 /u^ />LGt& cC ^c^/ Zcy^y j4^^, ^pt^p csp / Jtzz /^ux^. /ky^vt^y /-<- y> - • ^y p y ^ pj - — _ uky^c^tyy-p ckc^yy^^y yp^f ^i^sl cy^^yy yy^a^GL^ —GGi^y Piyyyj7~~ cS { /G-ypy —/ PG '7 7 < v ( y^GG yGc^y ^ IS 5^ S . «-w«.^ ^4 aSe ' Ooc ckl £r^ ^TffXo viyioj Ca^\^a<^(a. lr^ ^ JiwW VV ffjUsmnsvneU) Pa*jt II, Q*l*.oCa, ^rXX/V,^. ? j*,, rfjp 128. Buteo platypterus. Broad-winged Hawk. — Regular migrant; mature birds are rare, May 21 to June 30; young are abundant in the fall, August 23 to October 1. Birds of Dead River Region, Me. F . 33.0. 89. Buteopennsylmnicus, (Broad-winged Hawk). Several individuals of this variety were seen in the vicinity of Flaggstaff and a specimen was se- cured. I could learn no particulars of the nesting in the county, though they undoubtedly breed, as I have seen the species at every visit to the region excepting winter. O.&O. XI. Deo. 1886. p. 17a Birds of Hillsboro Oo. N. H. June 27, *92 Arthur M. Parmer, Amoeksag, N. H, Broad-winged Hawk, one pair. 1 O.& O Vol. 17, Sept. 1892 p. 13Q Breezy Point, Warren, N.H. & utZo 1894- A* . I* jo h-A) . It 2.1, i *7.; 3o J Uu-v^»- * 1895. Breezy Point, Warren, N.H. / 9yJZo iiuUtM) ■ fr+j MLxXkV-Zoi f ^ Raptores, Bristol County, Mass. Hilton B. Read. Broad-winged Hawk, (Buteo pennsylvanicus.) Only one instance of its capture in this coun- ty : Acushuet, April 12, ’82, (Brown). It has been recorded as breeding in this section of New England. 0. & O. XII. Aug. 1887 p.119 Birds of Bristol County, Mass. F. W. Andros. Buteo latissimus (Wils.), Broad-winged Hawk. Summer resident, very rare. Breeds. O &0. XII. Sent. 1887 p.139 ad ~ Uscttajd' ®* ' V?v • • lenten t/dexAJ /fJ . (tia-l d jdd d-cr-^f2 ezd'Pt r d friad tv i V fttr , A!Zif x Birds of the AdirondajK rtjgum. C.B,Merriam. 130. Buteo pennsylvauicus ( Wilson) Bonaparte. Broad-winged Hawk. — A rather common summer resident, breeding about the different lakes. •Bali, N .0.0, O.Oct, 1881 , p.233 Ridgway on a Melanistic Phase of the Broad- winged Hawk.— Mr. Ridgtvav has recently described* “the melanistic plumage of Butco latis- simns,” as exhibited in a specimen taken at Baxter, Iowa, by Mr. J. W. Preston. This is the only specimen thus far seen by Mr. Ridgway, but Mr. Preston reports having seen two others, one of which was nearly secured. — J. A. A. Auk, 4, Jan., 1887. p. fa fa . * Description of a Melanistic Specimen of Buteo latissimus (Wils.). By Robert Ridgway. Proc, U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, pp. 248, 249. Published Oct. 1886. Nesting of the Broad-winged Hawk i^Btiteo penn syl vanicus ) . — As but very few of the nests of this species have been described, an account of one taken by myself, about two miles north of this city, on June 23, 1883, may not be considered superfluous. It was built in a large yellow birch tree, near the margin of a rather open wood, which was composed of mixed birch, spruce, and hackmatac, and which adjoined a dense cedar swamp. The nest was placed in a fork of the tree, about thirty feet from the ground, and was composed, exteriorly, of dried twigs of hackmatac and birch, with a sparse lining of straw and feathers. In it wefe two eggs, which proved far advanced toward incubation; they measure 1.94 X 1.50 and 1.95 X 1. 51, and are very similar in shape and markings to those de- scribed by Dr. Brewer ; though I have failed to detect any of the yellow and purple tints mentioned by that writer. The ground-color is of a grayish or dirty white tint, heavily and irregularly marked with blotches of reddish- brown. On one of these eggs is a patch of dark chocolate brown, with blotches upon it of a still darker shade — almost black. This patch measures over one inch in length, and, at its broadest point, three-quar- ters of an inch in width. On the other egg the blotches and splashes are smaller, lighter in color, and chiefly gathered upon one side. Under a a glass all these ‘markings’ appear on the surface of the shell ; the deeper tints are formed by accumulated layers of light color; an occasional blotch of dark brown, however, exhibiting none of this accumulating process Much of the ‘dirtiness’ noticed on the ground color is the effect of splashes of pigment under the surface. The male parent was sitting on the nest at the time I approached it, and, when I began to climb the tree, he flew to a bough some seventy yards off, where he was shot. His stomach contained the partially digest- ed remains of three unfledged Thrushes. — James W. Banks, St. yohn, Auk, I, Jau,, 1884. p. , N. B. May 2, found the nest of a Broa d- winged Hajjds: in a large birch tree, twenty feet from ground. It contained four eggs ; nest something like a Crow’s in size and structure. — F. II. G. Q.&O. IX, Jan. 1884. p. * 2.7 A Large Migration of Hawks. — The guests at Lake Minnewaska, N. Y., had an opportunity in September to see the migration of large numbers of. hawks, presumably the Broad-winged. I enclose a letter from Mr. Kirk Munroe, the author, stating what he saw, and give you my own statement of what I saw myself, my estimates being, in all cases, moderate, and the numbers in some cases being from actual count. The birds were in most cases circling, in some cases sailing straight forward, a beat of the wings being extrerpely rare. As, in clear weather, the birds were very high, and in bad weather the light was very poor, I will not insist too strenuously upon my identification of the hawks as the Broad-winged, but I am sub- stantially certain. The flocks were moving, in the main, from northeast to southwest, but parts of some of the flocks turned off to the west. The flocks were accompanied, or followed, occasionally, by Red-shoul- dered Hawks; once or twice, apparently, by Fish Hawks; twice by Marsh Hawks, and once by an Eagle. The flocks seen by me, then, numbered as follows: — Sept. 15, 30; Sept. 16, 15; Sept. 17, 11 and 30; Sept. 20, 35, 35, 50, 66, 10, 23, 50, 15, 40; Sept. 21, 30. Those seen by Mr. Munroe, as will be noticed, were seen mostly on a day when I saw none, thus making the grand total very large. It may be that what we saw was not unusual, and therefore not worthy of special notice; but if it was at all out of the common, your readers will, no doubt, like to hear of it. — Robt. Barbour, Montclair, N . J . [Mr. Munroe’s letter to Mr. Barbour, referred to above, is as follows:] Dear Mr. Barbour: — A few days since: or to be more explicit, on the 18th inst., while on a walking trip to the Ice Caves of the Shawangunk Mountains near Ellenville, N. Y., in company with three Columbia College boys, I witnessed a most astonishing migratory flight of Broadwinged(?) Hawks concerning which I should like some further information. When our attention was attracted to the birds we had come out from the caves and were eating our lunch on the summit of a rocky ridge from which we had an uninterrupted view of the sky as well as of a vast extent of territory on either side. The forerunners of the migration were a few stragglers that only caused comment by their undeviating and unhesitat- ing southward flight. These leaders were, however, quickly followed by other birds in ever increasing numbers until the marvellous flight extended as far as the eye could reach to the eastward; and upwards to a point where the great birds appeared no larger than so many sparrows. When the hawks first aroused curiosity by their numbers, one of my companions undertook to count them; but having counted fifty in less than one minute, he gave over the attempt, and was glad to have done so when, at the end of an hour the incredible flight still continued without pause or diminution. I cannot venture even to guess how many hawks passed above us during that time; but know that they numbered well up among the thousands, and I write to ask if ever before you heard of a hawk migration on so vast a scale? I would add that three days after encountering this remarkable flight, I witnessed another of the same character, only this time numbering but two or three hundred individuals, taking the same southerly direction over Sam’s Point, but a few miles from the caves visited on the previous occasion. If you can tell me where these countless thousands of hawks came from, whither they were bound, upon what they subsist while travelling, or if you can throw any other light upon the subject you will greatly oblige, Yours most truly, _ _ , _ Kirk Munroe. Ante 26, J«a-19Q8,A» ' The Nest and Eggs of the Broad- winged Hawk. BY HARRY G. PARKER, CHESTER, PENN. One day in January while riding on horseback through Delaware County, my attention was sud- denly arrested by seeing three hawks nailed up, belly outward, against the front of a well-to-do farmer’s barn ; probably as a warning to their fel- lows that this particular rustic was bound to pro- tect his liens and pigeons at all odds. So unusual a sight prompted me to dismount and seek the acquaintance of the owner, and if possible gain some points concerning his winged foes. This man was only one of the vast army of country- men who for years have waged an unceasing crusade against the detested birds known to them as “ Hen and Chicken Hawks.” So successful has been this warfare, that it is a miracle, almost, that any members of the Haptores are bold enough to choose their sites, build their homes, lay eggs and rear young amongst their relentless enemies. On May 2d, however, I saw a pair of Broad- winged Hawks, ( Buteo pennsylvanicus ), who showed unmistakably that they had a nest in the near neighborhood, and the lateness of the season only confirmed my belief that they intended breeding with us. As I knew of no authentic in- stance of the eggs of this species having been tak- en in Delaware County, and as I was more than anxious to add another species of hawk to my “ personal collection” column, I sought at once in a systematic manner, their abode. A search of two hours revealed many nests, near the tree tops, any of which from a ground view might have been easily mistaken for the one I sought. After climbing several trees and peeping into as many Crow’s nests, I was well nigh discouraged and fatigued; but when on the top of one of the tallest oaks in the wood I was in, I saw what I felt in- stinctively was the nest of the birds, who mean- while remained perfectly passive spectators of my scansorial exercise. As the tree was a giant, and as night was coming on, and I was a long distance from home, I left the wood with the determina- tion of returning on the morrow. By the aid of a man and a coil of heaving line, I was safely landed on the lowest limb of this oak on the af- ternoon of May 4th. It proved all that I had an- ticipated, and I looked for the first time into the "ffst of this stout little, ample-winged Buteo. At |is date it was evidently just finished, and con- tained no eggs. It was exactly eighty-seven feet from the ground, in the forks of the oak, near its top, and was a well made and compact structure ; first a foundation of fagots, twigs and leaves, Collactioa of Saptore3 Eggs. J.P.N* Broad- winged Hawk, 10-2, 7-3, 1-4, 13 45 O.&O. XV. Apr. 1890. p. 56 7 ^ LccicC -t~j, HumAm *- The Broad-winged Hawk, ( Buteo y ennsyl- vanicus). usually lays three or four, sometimes only two, but their number-ls given as high as five by some writers. : )W&0> XIII. Jane. 1888 I Broad-winged Hawk. ( Buteo pennsylvanicus.) Accompanied by my friends, A. H. Bur- rington and R. C. Ashworth, I started out April 14 for a walk. Thinking there might be a new bird in the undergrowth we made off in that direction. Just before we came to the thicket we had to pass through a piece of hard and soft wood timber, so we looked about to see if there were any nests of the common Crow, ( Oorvus america- nus), in progress of building. We had nearly reached the thicket when I espied a nest in a hemlock, and as it looked fresh told my companions I would go up to it. I started up the tree, but had not rapped it many times when I caught sight of a Hawk flying from it. Just then a ringing hurrah came from the foot of the tree where my friends had seated themselves to await my return. I got up to the nest as soon as possible and to my delight found three eggs. Now the next thing was how to get them safely down. I finally tied them up in my handkerchief and started down the tree. I got down safely and then we hid behind trees to watch the parent birds, which were soaring about high in the air. At last one of them came down from its lofty watching place and alighted on a tree near the nest, then the other perched itself near its mate, offering a fine view to us. The nest was composed of sticks of a little larger size than those used by the common crow, lined with the bark of grape vines and moss ; it was but slightly hol- lowed. Height about forty feet from the ground. The eggs are of a dirty white color, marked with spots and blotches of lilac — F. M. Goodwin, Hartland, Vt. O to O M t> a KJ h - ‘ Co CD -a neck. In the huge extinct species it was also no clo.ubt strong and muscular, as figured in the article by Dr. Shufeldelt in the Century magazine. But the Terns capturing their prey from aboV the watery element by a well aimed dash, had li'o need of such an extent of material in the neck, Wd hence the ancestral type of vertebra remained less modified in them. The above considerations seem to me to pre- clude any strictly consecutive arrangement of birds into classes^ ’"SJany have doubtless met | with the same difficult^hat I encountered long ago when eer|am familiek do all I could, would seem to arrange themselvMjn parallel lines. If the ^Considerations which I am discussing are sufficiently tenable to forni. the basis for a good theory, the parallel or gradual diverge- ment^and consequent system of classification, | vviUrbe the more correct one. Eggs of the Broad-winged Hawk. by j. p. N. The size of the eggs of this species, ( Buteo pennsylvanicus) has often been incorrectly given by writers. It is almost always stated to be larger than a series of eggs of this hawk would | seem to indicate — thus leading to the suspicion ; that the eggs described were not really those of Buteo pennsylvanicus, but probably often those of Buteo lineatus. Audubon does not give measurements of the ! eggs of this species, but says that they “are i four or five, of a dull grayish-white, blotched with dark brown.” Experience seems to prove •' that they are but rarely four and never five. Dr. Brewer, in his North American Oology , ! thought that three eggs were the usual num- 1 ber for this bird, and gave the size of three | single eggs in his cabinet, collected in Penn- [ sylvania, Vermont and New Jersey, as follows : 2 1-16x1 9-10; 1 15-lGxl 8-16; and 1 14-16x18-16 inches. He figured three eggs in Plate I. of ’ his work, collected in New Jersey, Pennsylva- nia and Florida. Measuring these illustrations j with calipers gives this result : Figure 8, (from j New Jersey,) 1.99x1.55; Figure 9, (from Penn- | sylvania,) 2.06x1.58; Figure 10, (from Florida), J 2. 08x1.63 inches . __ Samuels (in his Ornithology and Oology of j New England) relates that he found a nest of ij this (?) species on May 20, 1864, in West Rox- j bury, Mass., that contained four eggs. He I gives their measurements as varying from 2.00 I xl.70 to 2.15x1.72 inches. Their color was “a 2-No. 1 d obtained j. Museum, P OF ruxiON. :th , 1886. >v. number ne so now, he Missis- tined from inquestion- ur of these resume the ;her colleo- ;t,es, a dull plutely un- jer than in arsh Hawk, f time they ^ happen to cannot give e taken re- ill on Trout Survey, in arthy; and iken by Dr. (ensuring as )xl.32; and e is in the (description Ind I should aim for the en. j occasional potted, just vk, but as a Broad- ( Buteo Accompanied rington and R. ( April 14 for a w: be a new bird in off in tliat direct to the thicket w piece of hard art looked about to of the common nus), in progrt nearly reached t nest in a heml< told my compa: I it B h w t( as fc hi tii st ai O h P H t> d p h-* CO 0) 'O pi hi d. al ol li c< vi lo gJ cc li] dirty yellowish-white, covered more or less thickly in the different specimens with blotches of reddish-brown.” In size and appearance, judging from the above description, these were very similar to some eggs of Buteo lineatus , and they are open to the suspicion of having be- longed to that species, as Mr. Samuels does not say how they were identified. The egg that is figured in Samuels’ book, (Plate I, figure 5,) as belonging to Buteo pennsylvauicus, only meas- ures 1.86x1.51 inches. The nest found by Mr. Samuels is referred to by Dr. Coues (in his Birds of the Northwest} and the measurements given by Samuels are the only ones mentioned by Dr. Coues. In his Key , however, Dr. Coues gives the measure- ments as “eggs 3-5, 2.00x1.60, heavily marked.” Dr. Wheaton (in his Report on the Birds of Ohio ) evidently followed Samuels’ measure- ments, for he states that “the complement of eggs is four, and they vary in size from 2.15 by 2.00 to 1.72 by 1.70.” Langille (in Our Birds in their Haunts ) says that the eggs are “three or four, some 2.10 x 1.05.” Davie: ( An Kgg Check List, first edition:) “three or four; 2.09x1.61.” In the second edi- tion of his work he describes them as “grayish or dirty white, more or less blotched with light umber, reddish, yellowish and purplish-brown, with a dull shade approaching black; three to five are laid, measuring from 2.00 to 2.15 long, by 1.70 to 1.72 broad.” Now having examined the authorities let us see what results a series of ten sets before the writer give : Set I. Blue Mountains, Northampton County, Penn., May 18, 1885. Three eggs, fresh. No. 1 : 1.76x1.50. Dull white, blotched all over with faint lilac, and over these a few brown specks. Almost as blunt at one end as the other. A very peculiar egg for this species. No. 2: 1.74x1.52. Dull white, faintly marked with pale lilac, with a very few brown specks. Almost equally rounded at both ends. No. 3: 1.88x150. Dull white, with hardly any lilac markings. Has a few brown specks, but they are more distinct than in the other eggs of this set. This specimen is quite pointed for Buteo pe nnsylvanieus. Set II. Framingham, Mass., May 25, 1884. Three eggs, fresh. No. 1: 1.95x1.52. Dirty- white, thickly blotched with pale lilac. Has a few brown specks and one distinct blotch of the same color. No. 2: 1.91x1.54. Dirty white, thickly covered with small blotches of faint lilac. Has one or two small brown spots. Quite pointed. No. 3: 1.87x1.53. Yellowish- white, thickly covered with very small, faint yellowish-brown specks and spots. — Set III. Pelican River, Becker County, Minn., May 19, 1886. Three eggs, incubation begun. No. 1: 1.90x1.54. Light yellowish- white, beau- tifully blotched diagonally across the whole egg with spots of faint purplish-brown. At the smaller end they are larger and thicker. No. 2: 1.90x1.51. Light yellowish-white, 'faintly marked with small and faint specks of purplish-brown, closer together at the smaller end of the egg. One or two blotches of the same color. No. 3: 1.95x1.52. White, beautifully marked with spots and blotches of bright redish-brown, tending to become larger and more numerous at the smaller end. There are no lilac markings on this egg. Set IY. Floyd Lake, Minn., May 20, 1886. Three eggs, incubation begun. No. 1 : 1.93x 1.54. Yellowish-white, very heavily marked with spots and blotches of dark brownish- red. In one or two places the markings are so close that they almost obscure the ground color. One blotch is much darker than the others, and they are closer together near the larger end. A remarkably handsome egg. No. 2: 1.92x1.57. Yellowish-white, thickly marked with lilac splashes and spots. Over these are a few reddish-brown specks. No. 3: 1.90x1.55. White, quite heavily spotted and speckled with faint lilac, becoming confluent at the smaller end. Over these are a few brown specks. Set V. Floyd Lake, Minn. May 24, 1886. Three eggs, incubation far advanced. No. 1 : 1.95x1.51. Very pointed for this species. White, heavily and most beautifully marked with bright chestnut-brown blotches, heavi- est near the smaller end, where they form an indistinct circle. A beautiful egg, the hand- somest in the series. No. 2: 1.98x1.51. White, very heavily marked at the smaller end with bright chestnut-brown. On one side the spots extend to the centre of the egg, but most of the surface (except the smaller end) is un- spotted. A strikingly handsome egg. No. 3 : 1.91x1.50. White, almost unmarked. Has a few straggling line-like markings at the smaller end. A great contrast to Nos. 1 and 2 in this set. Set YI. Monroe County, Penn., June 6, 1885. Two eggs, fresh. No. 1 : 1.91x1.55. Dirty white, heavily marked with dark reddish-brown spots and blotches, thickest at the larger end. No. 2: 1.85x1.55. Dull white, thickly covered over Jan. 1887.] AND OO nearly the whole surface with lilac blotches and spots, closer together at the larger end. Set VII. Lafayette County, Miss., May 18, 1886. Two eggs, incubation far advanced. No. 1: 1.90x1.46. Yellowish- white, thickly spotted and blotched with bright chestnut-brown all over the egg. A beautiful specimen. No. 2: 1.90x1.43. Dirty white, smeared all over more or less thickly with faint lilac. Over this a few brown specks. Set VIII. Lafayette County, Miss., April 9, 1886. Two eggs, fresh. No. 1: 1.98x1.54. White, beautifully blotched with bright chest- nut-red. The blotches are thickest at the small- er end, where they become confluent. A very handsome egg. No. 2 : 2.01x1.62. Dull white, thickly speckled and blotched with lilac and light redish-brown, closer at the smaller end. Set IX. Lafayette County, Miss., May 15, 1886. Two eggs, incubation far advanced. No. 1: 1.91x1.49. White, very heavily blotch- ed with dark chestnut-brown. A beautiful egg. No. 2: 1.85x1.46. White, almost wholly obscured with faint lilac patches, thickest at the smaller end. Over this, at the smaller end are a very few spots of dark chestnut-brown. One of these measures .00x.52 and is very striking. Set X. Northampton County, Penn., May- 17, 1884. Two eggs. No.l : 2.06x1.54. Dull white, thickly covered with lilac specks and blotches. No. 2: 1.99x1.53. White, thickly spotted and blotched with bright reddish brown. At the smaller end the blotches be- come confluent. A beautiful egg. Does not this series indicate that the size of the eggs of this species generally given by writers is larger than authentic specimens measure? Q.& O. XII, Jaq.^887. p. ? - //. Broad-winged Hawk in Hillsboro County, N.H. Before this spring I have always con- sidered the Broad-wing as one of our very irregular visitors. But this year they seem to be more plentiful than usual, as I know of at least four pair that have undoubtedly nested in this county the past season. To begin with, the first one noted this year was on April 8, on which day I was collecting Hawk’s eggs along Black Brook. While eating my lunch I discovered a pair of Broad-wings and soon found their nest, which they were just finishing up ready for eggs. The female was a handsome specimen, but I did not molest her, because they are so rare here that the destruction of a sin- gle pair would make quite a gap in their ranks. After this pair were noted I observed several scattered individuals, and later on another pair. They were flying about East Turn Hill and upon searching I found their nest, just completed. Seeing that I this species had appeared to be so plenty this year so far, I thought that I would Broa d-winged Hawk, be justified in collecting a set, inasmuch as I had never taken any before. I re- a ^ sstmus as a tolerably turned May 1 7 with Mr. Dinsmore, who kere , as I know of four desired to examine the nest. Just as we ^ ve miles of this stopped beneath the tree the bird left the time t0 ex P lo re suitable nest, which contained two nearly fresh s meeting season, doubt- eggs. th sociability, the two be- \njr enough company by themselves. With the beginning of the breeding season, the hfetory of tne common roost ends. We do not nbw fol- In hidden retreats, where the tangled wilder- ness of lakes and forests guards in lonely si- lence the streams which feed the Red River of the North in Minnesota, I found the Broad- winged Hawk (Buteo pennsylvanicus), breeding abundantly. At home with the Barred Owl, and unmolest- ed by stealthy tread of wild cat or lynx, he is in this region indeed a “ bird of the wilder- ness.” He chooses the heavy, close woods about small lakes, where food is abundant and shelter near, and where he may hide himself. Here he may be seen hurrying to and fro over the water, or darting up along the shore, to glide as quickly out of sight in the -woods. My oppor- tunities for studying the habits of this interest- ing bird have been excellent during the past two seasons, while 1 was camping out in those unfrequented wilds ; and from their inquisitive ways and lack of fear at human presence, I have come to admire them almost as much as any of their kind. The Broad-wing, though capable of daring dashes of flight, is usually content to seek his food quietly under cover of the woods. Some- what sluggish, he will permit a very close ap- proach, and frequently I have passed directly beneath the branch on which one sat eyeing me curiously, much as the Barred Owl will do. One morning, while passing along a timber road, my attention was attracted by the cries of a pair of Red-eyed Vireos, and upon investi- gation, the cause of the difficulty proved to be a male Broad Wing, which had strayed too near their quarters, and now sat confused at their scolding. My approach was not noticed until I had come within ten paces of him. Melanism in this species is rare. The one example taken by the writer on the shores of Crystal Lake, Northern Iowa, on May 3, 1886, is the only occurrence so far as known, save the two 20 ORNITHOLOGIST [Vol. 13-No. 2 specimens seen but not secured. See Proceed- ings U. S. Natural Museum, 1886, pp. 248-249. One day, while stationed in a tali larch, watching a pair of Swallow- tailed Kites which were nesting not far away, a Broad-Wing seemed much disturbed at my presence. Perch- ing himself on top of a dry larch, within easy gunshot of me, he kept up a continual cry, screaming forth his shril e-e-e. Now and again he darted by me, so close as to fan me with his wings ; then he resumed the same perch where he poured forth his doleful strain. This was the first attempt at resistance I had witnessed, as when frightened from the nest, the female will fly heavily away a little distance, and remain among the tree tops an anxious witness of the collector’s depredations. On warm summer days, this bird forsakes its ordinary flapping flight and the shadows of the woods, and indulges in a series of mrial per- formances befitting a bird of higher station. Suddenly, one will start up briskly from some dead tree in the forest, and begin its upward course in short circles, rising quickly and easi- ly, by gradually widening spirals, assisting it- self by vigorous flapping until well up, when the metallic scream ceases, and with full spread wings and tail it soars lightly back and forth, still tending upward until almost out of sight, and with arrowy swiftness the gay fellow de- scends with lsjpg sweeps and curves, closing the act with a horizontal dash far over the woods and marshes. In migration, many pleasing freaks of flight may be seen, as individuals give chase to some neighbor, while the great company moves along in its onward way. During the mating season (which begins about the first week in May), the clear, shrill scream constantly echoes in the dim woods, as one answers back to another from some chosen perch. This cry somewhat resembles the call of the Kildeer Plover, and is tolerably well rep- resented by the syllabes chee-e-e-e — sharp and piercing when the bird is angry, or drawled and pitifully when an intruder comes too near the nest. Frequently have I almost decided to leave the humble parent in possession of her treasures, so pleading was she, and her attitude so indicative of sorrow'. Well does the expe- rienced collector know the value of the alarm note which this species utters at the first ap- proach of danger. Many a nest would be passed by unnoticed w'ere it not for that metallic e which usually greets his approach, and is an i almost certain indication that a nest is hidden somewhere near. i ■ Their food consists of small squirrels, frogs, and, in fact, any small quarry easily captured. Never have I known them to molest the poultry. A trio of fledgelings, which came into my possession, devoured almost anything offered to them, even cooked beef. It was really amusing to watch their antics. One, who was the strongest, asserted his powers by gathering everything to himself, at which he was kept very busy, as his weaker nestmates would slyly purloin a portion, even at the risk of a flap over the head. They were always quarrelsome and never satisfied. The nest, which is invariably a new one, dif- fers in appearance from that of the Cooper’s ITawk. That species always uses sticks and twigs, which it breaks from trees and bushes, while the Broad-Wing contents itself with sticks gathered from the ground near by, out of which it constructs a heavy structure in an ample crotch of a small tree. But one excep- tion to this rule was a nest found in the top of a very large post oak, which had been broken about thirty feet from tne ground. The exter- nal dimensions of the nest are less than those of the Cooper’s Hawk, while the internal con- struction is identical. For lining, the bird uses a few tree bark chips, and later, some leafy twigs of the Populus gran- didentata, or other tree. When incubation has well advanced, the small drawing feathers of the bird adhere all over the structure, and then it is time to secure the eggs if ever. The following are a few instances which well illustrate the time and manner of nesting. The nests are from two seasons, 1886-1887, the dates for the two years being almost identical. May 16th, a set of two eggs was taken from a nest in a crotch forty feet from the ground in a small bass wood tree; eggs slightly incubated. May 17th, a set of three was found in the crotch of a small elm tree. May 19th, a set of slightly incubated eggs was taken from the crotch of a small bass wood tree. Also another set was secured, containing four very richly marked fresh eggs. This was the only instance in my experience -where so large a number was found. The nest was placed thirty feet from the grouud in the crotch of a small “ sugar tree,” Acer saccharinum , in open woods, forty rods back from the shore of a small lake. May 20th, I took a set of three from a crotch twenty-five feet from the ground in a post oak. May 21st, a set of three fresh eggs were found in a nest in a crotch of a bass wood. Feb. 1888.] AND OOLOGIST. 21 Also sets of three well advanced in incubation on the 24th and 28th of May respectively. A majority of sets taken in the spring of 1886 contained three eggs, while those of 1887 had with few exceptions, but two eggs, but in the two seasons, more sets of three than of any other number were taken. Two is a good set, and frequently but one egg makes up the complement. The time to expect eggs in this region is during the latter half of May, when the leaves begin to thicken the tree tops. One nest which I secured, and among the first, was especially interesting. After traaip- ing through a tangle of tree tops and upturned roots, thickets and swamps, I came into the open woods along Pelican River, where its waters bound along over huge boulders, and under and among fallen tree trunks which lie across its narrow bed, and where the low bluffs, elad with giant trees, close in upon it, as it is hastening on its way to Floyd Lake. While eat- ing my dinner, a nest of some species of hawk was seen not far awaj-, which proved to belong to a pair of Broad-Wings. But they had chosen a romantic home and one hard to reach, and on the other side of the stream. An elm tree grew on the side of a steep bluff, and one of the branches drooped over the river, about thirty feet from the water. With little difficulty I crossed, on a fallen log, and made the ascent bluish-white ground color. These tints have, in many instances, the appearance of being under the shell, and are present in specks, spots and blotches. The remaining eighteen eggs are marked with spots and blotches of fawn color, nut, also on a faint yellowish or bluish-white ground color. These latter ones are the bril- liant specimens. Both types are beautiful, and it is difficult to say which is the handsomer. And a set will not always contain all eggs of one type of color- ation. On the contrary, the grays will gener- ally be present on one of the eggs which be- longs to a set of brilliantly marked ones. As to size, 1 wish to reiterate what I said in The Ornithologist and Oologist for Jan- uary, 1887 (vol. XII, p. 9). No work that I am acquainted with, (except Ridgway's new Man- ual of North American Birds) , gives the correct size of ,the eggs of this species. The latter book states that the size is “ 1.93x1.56,” and that is probably a fair average, although most of the sets in the series before me will measure even less. 1.90x1.54 would probably be nearer the size, and some of them are much smaller. Mr. Preston is undoubtedly correct in what he says about the number of eggs this bird lays. Four is probably exceptional, and two or three is the full number. — J. P. N.l -J9~ O.&Q. Sill. Feb. 1SS8 p . 21 . to the branch on which the nest was placed, and by hard climbing and at the risk of life and limb, secured the set of eggs, which, with the adventure, was at that time ample reward fora toilsome day’s work. As Mr. Norris has very accurately described the eggs of the present species in a former number of the O. & O., there is no need to at- tempt it here. When the Broad-Wing takes his journey to the wilderness of the North, I may follow him again, or never, yet, many pleasing memories will remain of his familiar ways and modest habits. [Of a series of seventeen sets of eggs of this species before the present writer, there are ten sets of two eggs, six of three, and one of four, the latter being the one referred to by Mr. Pres- ton above. Nine sets came from Minnesota, three from Mississippi, four from Pennsylvania, and one from Massachusetts. There are two types of coloration observable in this series. Of the forty-two eggs contained in the seventeen sets, twenty-four of them have markings of very subdued tints, ranging from pearl-gray, through lavender-gray and lilac-gray, to ecru drab, on a faint yellowish, or New Eng. Rapbores. Number Eggs in aset. F.H. Carpenter. Broad-winged Hawk, ( But so Icitissimus') 13 sets of 2 4 “ “3 0>& O. XII. Oct. 1887 P. 1 Q 7 H- Buteo pennsylvanicus. — Side by side with the Accipiter cooper il reared a Buteo pennsylvanicus of about the same age. The characters of the two birds were essentially different. The fierce aspect of the Accipiter showed itself quite early, and indi- cated by its every action its rapacity and daring. The Buteo, on the other hand, was mild in appearance and never exhibited the fierceness nor voracity of the Accipiter. But I succeeded better in petting the latter. It seemed to grow rapidly fond of my company. The Buteo, however, neither expressed pleasure, nor showed displeasure upon my coming near it, though it would make itself felt when one attempted to handle it. It never, however, used its claws with the same spirit as the Accipiter. I could handle the latter with impunity after it grew to know me. Strangers, it fought with spirit and resisted all their attempts at familiarity. The Buteo regarded all alike, seemingly neither as foes nor as friends. Its voracity was not nearly so great as that of the Cooper’s Hawk. It never at any time ate more than five Sparrows a day, and generally fewer than five. It, too, was more dainty in its feeding, nearly always pulling the feathers before eating. It was fond of insects, especially preferring grasshoppers, and ate frogs and fish with apparent relish. This the Accipiter did only when very hungry. If any preference was shown by these Hawks in the selection of food, it was for food in the form of warm birds. And I expe- rienced some difficulty in procuring enough Sparrows for them. I wished to supply in abundance the food they preferred, in order to make the conditions of their growth most favorable, and further to test their effect upon physical organization. The effects were apparent in larger size and more robust physique. The Buteo never fed in my presence with the same freedom that the Accipiter did, nor were its actions so free. The latter’s boldness and daring manifested themselves in every action. Auk;, V, July, 1888. p. XIT-Xi#. 1852. Ha-wks that Kill Hens. By M. G. Ellzeyi M.D. Ibid.,} an. 9, -CnUx-A-a - p. 497 Contains notes on Buteo latissnnus, B. borealis , Archibuteo lago- pus sancti-jokannis. Circus hudjonius, and Colinus virginiamsW^xWSXXWB^ V© 1 * 33 572. A caterpillar-eating ken-hawk [Buteo pennsylvanicus ]. By F. H Storer. Ibid., No. 6, p. 168. Yol. I /h 9 J^C y v/ 0 , £ *^V A_~ _ r <^^M. cA^ fttZxfys & UxA+Zr* _ / I had a rare chance to see a Broad Winged Hawk adjust a so as to carry it easily. He dashed into a pine near me and broke off a limb two feet long by one quarter of an inch in diam- eter. This he placed in his bill and swung it to see how it balanced. He then grasped i i in his claws and moved it along m his bill, repeating it several times. finally getting it bal- anced to suit him he flew off down wind with it. I was so near that T could see his eyes distinctly, but he was too intent on his task to notice me; Manley Hardy, Letter of June 18,1887. Brief Notes. I have just stuffed a (male) Broad-winged Hawk brought to me by a lady from East Whitman. He came into her possession in a very uncommon manner. On Feb. 29, just at noon, she heard a crash in the parlor. When investigation was made a pane of glass, thirty ! inches square, was found broken and this Hawk was found to be the rogue. What caused him to fly through ttiis large pane of | glass is more than I know, unless* in pursuit of I game. His stomach contained the bodies of { what I called, by the shape of tiie bill and legs, an English Sparrow, and the legs of another bird too much consumed to tell what it was. Is this a rare bird, at this time of the j year, in this locality, or not? C. C. F., West j Duxbury, Mass. [We usually get specimens about this time, j— E d.] Q.& O.Vol. 17, April 1892 p. 64 35 Ilf f/ fawn i?/* t ~ f*- ‘ /u 7/ rvwn . UfrAAy ^frrxcU^ ~itcZi 4 A . . . — t y i *■- i -'v . / 1 iu/ 7 ^ - /< /" J# p / 1 tr-w*.- ~ - L4W-I*. ' *~ llA+SJ -t-W*-. {£* /TV 7 , / _ VTTV , _ ^v4^.(A (AV, « Ia*~ 4. i^r^j^i/i lArvi^ii^v /h /wv. /^Tff ^ Zo .2 ^LMAy r ^c._ / Ar£/uit>iw /^.jy^ v. •*-*Jc 4T *«r /m~ / V c ^j r-^^vA. « ' . 4, IP 1 ! r i- if i ffv; c f be iiiB t ; yi c U ( r ' (# A. ^4, eai*^' t/-/ 1 r?rj till. -5 ^'~-- p ^n^XA . . _ /£w A+r~*ytrK - 6^^uA- A/-t*^f-J/~yy~<\. Xa^Vv w>_ *~ " ‘ ^ ^ t f~*- K 4 -t r-^_ W^H. T^y A-*xy|~- W-«->0--»^4 -v_» 7_ ^ "Lb Oc^A ^S'x^Ia-^ 1^ w^-v — d r '^ z '•'''■ £** — 1 ^ A &xpz • % A f &/ 37 Archibuteo las onus sancti-.iohannis. Concord, Mass. 1894. 'VwVc 1 3 Ocfcm to- Ne*==gl . The Hough-leg (observed on Nov. 13th) was in the dark phase of plumage. It looked as black as a crow as it passed me within about 150 yards. Keeping straight across the mead- ows towards the south-west. Its flight was easy, graceful and bouyant - quite unlike the firm, somewhat heavy flight of our Buteos and much more like the flight of the Marsh Hawk when that bird is making directly across country for some distant hunting ground. The wing beats were slow and list- less and alternated with short periods of scaling. At each upward stroke of the wings their white under surfaces were con spicuously displayed and showed in strong contrast to the deep black of the rest of the plumage. This is the only black Hough-leg which T remember to have ever seen on the Concord meadows. Archibuteo 1 agoutis s anc t i -:i o harm i s . Concord, 1SS7. Nov. 15. Nov. 19. Mass . A fine rough -legged Hawn was hanging about all day a- lighting in the oafcs on the hill and sailing over the meadows. It was a brown bird with very white upper tail ooverts. As I was leaving the oabin in the early morning a started a brown Rough-legged Hawk from the large red oah at the east- ern end of Ball's Hill. This bird was no doubt the same in- dividual that I noted two days ago. Archibuteo lauonus sano t i - ,i ohann i s Springfield, Mass. 1898. "Since the disappearance of the snow here, the work of Mar. 23. the field mice is found in unusual large amounts, indicating the presence of these animals last winter in numbers far be- yond the average, which undoubtedly accounts for so many Rough-legged Hawks being here". Letter from Robert 0. Morris. Birds 'Within Ten Miles of de Monts, Can, Coiueau & Merrill 71. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. Rough-legged Buzzard. — Breeds, and is rather common. The southward migration commences about the last of September and continues into November. During this period large numbers of these Hawks are constantly passing over this part of the coast on the way to their winter quarters. Baa XT. O.O, 7, Oct* 1882, p,237 Newfoundland Notes. A Trip up the Humber t -iver, Aug, 10 - Bept, 24, 188S, 19 . Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. American Rough-legged Hawk. — A guide reported seeing a large black Hawk on September io. Louis H, Porter, New York City. Auk, XVII, Jan. , 1900, p. "JZ. Birds of N.E. coast of Labrador oy Henry B. Bigelow. 56 . Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. Rough-legged Hawk. — Very common almost everywhere, nesting on cliffs some distance from the sea. Different pairs of hawks seemed to hold definite tracts of coun- try, from which they drove alt intruders. Auk, XIX, Jan., 1902, p.29. 1 1, QlAA-cZo _ rv, }<*"■) "f °7 , y j. 129. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. American Rough-legged Hawk. — Regular winter migrant, sometimes abundant. An immense flight occurred in October, 1895; from the 26th to the 29th, the birds were taken in dozens; I must have had over fifty brought to me in that time. They were here in decreasing numbers till December 5; between these dates I examined seven in the black phase of plumage. A female taken August 25, 1894, is in changing plumage. A few birds remain through January and February; latest, March 12, 1902. and two fine 1 Hawk , both females, one in light stage of plumage, and one in the dark stages. These birds are very rare in this State, o.&o.tm. 1883. p./ Birds of Dead River Region, Me. F. K. C. 90. Arehibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis, (Rough- legged Hawk). A mounted specimen in my col- lection from Spencer stream district, authenticates the only instance I can record of its observance in the county. O.&O. XI. Dec. 1886. p. 178 Winter Birds of Webster, N.H. by T?»Va©, Rough-legged Hawk, (. Archibuteo lagopus sancti- [ johanniti). Rare, several specimens in the light plumage taken, and one in the black seen. . O.&O. X. Jan. 1885. p. , 5 * \ 1 7^1 ^zz 7 Z &? ~&U 4 U&, ■ , AXo A^e4*'/<>^ 'X ^ • W // /3 ’ E - Maes. 1884 . ^ . / ^l^Uwo. _ £ ®. Maes. 1885 . jy,y\sOL OL^^lMy J J ^L^GCzzr /. . 4u^d4' /w ^dXf. - duyj tw ^7 $h*c-+ /f - SffV S’ 'KjuH' /tti~ . JI+ti, / , ^v^«t _ t^» y}jx>. /^-~ U (^ £• 0 ' / 0 ^ * <»^V 6w ' fa***- C ?J >4 ^7, /()< d > /^ ^ — hs\A*~-Q_A- ~J-v^- X-^i-JL ^oyi ::4 ^/(mA g^^-i^-Cc. Z^vue. '^Jxa^XZkA^? , >£Le_e_ '\~^a /\^ / 0 3 //^U, /U^zztL/ /V y / r ^u/ul ^** ' s. .^**4 f • Sv // >3 B - Mass. 1884. • / (fWK^, jT> fouJ-J^2ZZ ,4^U^. _ ^1/ Z E. Mass. 1885. 1 a^^iXerC- ) c zr /. /m: Jfcv. c ls%~~ -^r y fikc.* */s - /frv s' fltiuH' 6*£fc.o-4A*jiA»*yl um age, perched by the North Middleboro ', Mass . & ° w lte P lnes - Herbert K. Job, /UtO AscaiA H~ c ** A d /y Q' if &+ i/ d'4- . The American Rough-legged Hawk, ( Areliibutsa lagogus sanoUJohanmaj, is also credited with four or five eggs, while the former is believed to he the true number. These instances could be easily multiplied, but enough have been mentioned to show that mistakes as to the number of eggs of the Baptores figs \ -/ * A Philadelphia Collection of Eggeof the Baptores, Archibuteo lagopus sancti-j ohannis. American Rough-legged Hawk. One set of four, one set of two. Total: two sets, six eggs. O.&O. XIV. Mar, 1889 p.46 'Collection of Baptores Eggs. J. P,N. Am. lioiigli-liW'l :. na "k, 2 1 O.&O. XV. Apr. 1890. p. 56 Collection of Baptores Eggs. J.P.ET. Bongh-ieggcU Hawk, 1 t O.&O, XV. Apr. 1890. p. 56 , far ZL sh^-> ^Ze~a^A dO>Zii fa^Uo/, yAA~A*>*~ — . /f^y- 2^<±a— /'"Z'-cj /O t^O-y^T^ f * , dtT>TscJ— ^-caj~ do t Hy^a^oX L £X- -^C-e- h^ZZ- I £L«jJ- , ^v-Z~w !ux£^ ^ r 7>nZ£~ {O' din^Jl //u^f ddJLcl r coo'oi- \^ j MaZoid^tx/*--. i aZZ*-y /A ?i~e 7 ZdLd tf^ZZuZi /oZoLjroZli. {&) do^^cnn^ZZ tOr) c-t- (^Urt^. ({OTxirlOzZy: A--* O^raAd Ox^-cL-. {T>^^c^~ JfUiM, (jjf&dZUci /fr'tib € ~fiA ^-^-4 (ZxrZet /*4-c_^£v ZZZZZZ^ a tie— ^ A Aizr ^7 A [Jjr er XLc~^£Z / SZy ^teZ-cZ-ZOo fl fisfrC. j / p*^oz /fa^yyr' *r ^ <^<^, UTZ 3* C. ~ v/7a /l/X/j i^L^-'t-w, l^-?-t e^oA^> trr SAa U£l9 ^ — c A_ (f'c^ou— y>i^rr-^ - ?Zh~, '<£ra-'U ^ r 9 ^ rf/fy^-cA -fla^Thu sr Z&UL^ /*_ tTz \4 && d/i^y t/A~oi^T~oZ fi J*u lp , H^Tt^/- A'' Qr- /lr>A— l ^^ r ^ c ^-' /let*/ / 9 tL *- — A^ly / 1 (A- Q-d-£-~ - /^C 99 6 *- /r- vz-?**? *za± /A /A/ / AZTL^LTX c//tt c<-^~c/ / 9 laX/ t£ _ c? *~^A, Z*. — fil lA ^Vvl ^ 1^ . liNXG> J. - E'Off, &BfefQ8,JH. VOl. 3S ,W.*/■* 7- 4U.O. . JL. ' 1704. Are Hawks Destructive of Game. By M. G. Ellzey, M. D. Ibid. , May 3, pp. 288-289. — Some notes on Arckibuteo lagopus sancti- jo ha nn is. For, & Stream. Yol« 30 849. A fine Rough-leg. By W. A. Stearns. Ibid p. 7- A. black ex- ample of Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis , taken at Northampton, Mass. 1 -m-. Stream; XXII $h - p /, y'i^tx^ j a^.. y ^ £>^7- fids/ „ „ -kr?^-- fZ^ ,'J7^ ,-k f- t*~ a.- iCry^ ir6C'<^~' c-t_ Oj ~V~ /y'^k kr d- CL'i^.. ^ -.J^f /" -ft-z2^t^/~ y-y&y&s CL (Ikll^- 7 ’ l jy~)r-£^v*>0 et^n /%'f < ~~^ ’ ^ l y~yn.yV~*-y~ £•/_ ,-w ( /-y^>c*2/ (Ly">-0 ^ -A- £ -^o '£-£. CX-*&. Vvt a^x^> ^ ck_^<) ■/-j.-'V^T- CfrCk ■ ■ ■■’ / x -t - ■■'! / >" -» y '■•■ ' "- , /7-A / .. — (^y frx^'ts 7 c^ek'~ ky—x^J,- (AA A y /tf-S' h (% 1 -iaAv ^L^-' ^LakX) L\J i/^p (0 fy / V^r\/ ^ 0 ~r^y*^ ^/iaa-^ vi. O^j' — eA- ~ lys'S'-'C'-o /^?aT V<>u<> 5 ! ^ / ^C'A\yjy, J w^ I^AaA^ /£f^~ ^ 9 ^/' ^ £ss&7si~x(*s^_ .IaX/i^ r^~ TYv 3 t/V\ (Ayyyy^. pJlry y^/^vw'pp^ — < 2 ^ ^ C Y^JLyj Hy-ty cAatAa^x-A. , /lAA , dv^-Avv'-fi" WV^X^i tfcZ* 3 ^ V^'V^A/'. v\SKy ^AyAxys^y i ^ ^\, bif^y ^fr~syy t LyJ~\yyy ~~^Vv &^AaAj ^L-tlrv; < 3 ^ ~t^Ax Js-u-A/L^' ttfy-W- ^wA^»vl ?-os/\^ ^aA$a ly\y\yGy il'\ .7 (/X^yyAy-^^ d ^ kst\A£<}\„ . ’* V <£iU\ Wy\ A^wvrjt VI A?_\ /tl . A , ^ i *^v 1Ar**^r*-~XX fx /Tv^y - ^ *yA_.*k fi+yX. UstirJ-X & C«~»A*WM. */ 6~axyX4 ^ /}•*•> £wv V^y+yJAyJt ^ 4 v vf^ - /£w /vt-A tO -4 3-rr^uK "ts C-*- — ~ ^w- l tA^Vv-. — ^ . ^Iaa . 7 i«v>^ a ~^ x3 CxXCt ftxr M ftA ^V! /^CK^Y^v- ts_ /5 ^7 ^LJJiA) ^ -x 7 ^p, The Golden Eagle in New Brunswick.— When out Snipe shooting October 16 (1880), a big Blue Heron flew up and almost immediately dropped to the ground. Instantly a large bird came like a meteor and struck the Heron with full force and in their excitement I got a fine spec- imen of the Golden Eagle (. Aquila ckrysaetus), a species not often occur- mg with us. — George A. Boardman, Milltown, N. B. BuaN.O.C, 0, Jan,, 1881, p, 61 ? , Birds within Ten Miles of Point" de Monts, Can, Ooffieau & Merriam 73. Aquila chrysaetus. Golden Eagle. — Breeds, and is not partic- ularly rare. Mr. Comeau has shot three, and knows of half a dozen that were caught in steel-traps. Ball, If, 0,0, 7, Oct, 1882, p.238 Dwight, Sumner Birds of Prince Edward Island. Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. — I examined a live specimen in young plumage, captured June 23, in a fox trap set for it, near New London. The man who caught it thought there was a nest near by in a piece of woods, and expected to trap the old birds as well, one of which he had seen. After visiting the locality I am inclined to doubt whether the bird was bred on the island. Eagles are considered rare birds there by all the people with whom I talked, and probably stray from wilder regions, such, for instance, as Cape Breton. Auk X, Jan, 1893 . p. C (AaA.5, Professor F. L. Harvey of the Maine State College and myself were making the ascent of Sandy River Mountain in northwest Maine. When we had nearly reached the summit of the mountain, we heard the cry of some raptorial bird, and a Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) soon appeared and flew around us uttering its cry. We remained at the top of the mountain for some time, during which the Eagle remained in our vicinity and seemed much disturbed at our presence. We both concluded that the bird had young somewhere in our vicinity, and as the south side of the mountain was a steep cliff, there is no reasonable doubt but that the bird had a nest somewhere on the cliff.' When it uttered its cry we could hear answering cries from the direction of the cliff, thus making it evident that the bird had young in the vicinity.— Ora W. Knight, Bangor , Maine. X Auk, XIII, July, 1896, p . Z S~6. Recent Capture of the Golden Eagle near Portland, Maine. The Golden Eagle (. Aquila chrysaetos) is so rare in the neighborhood of Port- land^ that a recent capture should be recorded. I have an adult male specimen, sent to me in flesh, which was shot at Duck Pond, Windham, October 14, 1891.— Henry H. Brock, Portland , Me. Bird, Obaer.-sd at Boaai hy j&s, & Mrs ■too iio. •• Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. - mounted and is in a private collection. ■1911, Oct. 26, one shot — Arilr 30. -July. 1913. 9. Profile House, N, H. Aug-. 1865. Profile House, N. H. Aug. 1-12-1867 . f L£X i ___ ft-XX • ^z^- J^-lj3o Profile House N.H. July 2'7-Aug. 7.1886 The Golden Eagle in Eastern Massachusetts. — Two Massachusetts specimens of the Golden Eagle ( Aquila ckrysaetos) have recently come into my possession. The first, a female, was killed in Paxton (Worcester Co.), Oct. 22, 1883; the second, a male, in Lynnfield, Nov. 23, 1886.— William Brewster, Cambridge , Mass. Atlk, 4 , Jan. , 1887 . p. ML /Hi. /> // ey // ■'< r. > /i . , ^ ... r ' ' *■ ■ ■ * / - ' •* ' fl / ■ 0 */ Sy ft . . .. ft y/f, ^ z /ns 6 . Pd \ $~«_ ^TftLc/A^^ c<_^ 2^7 ^ ^(S>. <1^ f k&-6-eJ^t >•■ t . < i * ( . £. (t /'. ^ /^- //" *. , 1-j W"M«^, i^crv. J *C *7 0 j ffr ^*<*. ^2t 77 fit~. *7 <« . tyiczzr £ fir. s J ^ ^j-&~*-~cL. -. S~cfi-o-<^. ~ /L t<. Ty t » / Aryns^^^Licd- , Li LLC 7 *^( *4S*J/Z~ Lo. 6 X/i^X •<-— '^tyXc ^ t! < t y^y /^, w>a. HS--6 Another Golden Eagle in Connecticut. — An adult male Golden Eagle (. Aquila chrysaetos ), weighing eight pounds and a half, alar extent seven feet five inches, now in my possession, was taken Jan. 19, at Salem, twelve miles west of this place towards the Connecticut River. It was trapped while feeding on the carcasses of sheep killed by dogs. Its tracks were seen the day before, and foot-prints similar to these were seen last winter in the same locality. Possibly this Eagle was mate to the fine female whose capture was noted by Prof. A. E. Verrill of New Haven in the January ‘Auk’ (XIV, p. 891). — C. L. Rawson, Norzvick, Coti?i. Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. A young bird of this species was shot in East Haven on October 9 , 1909 , and brought to Dr. Sanford in the flesh. Auk 27, Oot. -.1910 p, Dutcher, Rare Long Island Birds. Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. — This specimen was brought to Mr. Akhurst alive by a negro who caught the bird at Canarsie. To prevent its escape it was wrapped in a piece of old fish-net. The price paid for the bird was $5.00, which sum was furnished by the late Mr. Van Brunt Wyckoff of Bay Ridge. No date or sex is given. Auk X. July, 1803 p 274. Birds of the Adirondack Region. C.H,Merriana. I3 2. Aquila chrysaetus, canadensis (Linn.) Ridgiuay. Golden Eagle. — R are. Ball N, O.O, 0,Oot. 1882, p.233 Capture of the Golden Eagle at Albany, N. Y. — On the 15th of February of the present year, I secured a fine adult male Golden Eagle, captured in this vicinity a short while previously by a hunter, by whom it was kept in captivity for some time. The Eagle, although not seriously or painfully injured, utterly refused all food until, in a moment of passion, he flew at his captor, who had barely time to strike a blow with a heavy stick which he had with him. Fortunately for the hunter the blow was fatal, and in this condition the late “monarch of the mountain forests” was brought to me. Owing to sickness, I was unable to prepare the Eagle myself, and so sent it to Mr. C. J. Maynard to be mounted for my collec- tion. — G. A. LlNTNER. Albany. TV. T J Jl - G. A. Lintner, Albany, IV. T. Bull, N, 0.0, 8,Apii. 1883 , p. Golden Eagle at Shelter Island, New York.-A fine specimen of this noble bird was shot at Shelter Island Heights on the 19th of last October and brought me to be mounted. It was a female, in young of the year plumage, and exhibited the following measurements (in inches) taken before skinning: length 36.25, extent 82.25, wing 24.87, tail 13.75 culmen 1.75, gape 2.70, tarsus 4.25. The craw and stomach contained the re- mains of a rabbit. The young man who shot it stated that it was in the act of swooping down upon him, being within a few yards, when he fired, and it fell dead at his feet. This is the first instance of the occur- rence of this species here that has come to my notice, and it is a rare rec- ord for Long Island.— W. W. Worthington, Shelter Island Heights N ' T ' &U3£| VIII, J an, 189!, P. *• ? Notes from Our Correspondents.— John Burroughs (Esopus-on-Hudson) says: I have seen an extraordinary number of eagles on the Hudson this Winter. Yesterday from the car window I saw eight in the vicinity of West Point— four bald eagles, at least, and three black or gold- en eagles, and one I could not determine. The black eagles were sitting on the floating cakes of ice, or hovering over them. The bald eagles were high in air, sailing round and round. Passing down the Hudson the last of Decem- ber I saw three black eagles on the ice. About the first of December I saw several golden eagles in the fields near Kingston, and one day soon after a bald eagle flew along by my house. Why this great flight of eagles? Have oth- thers observed and noted this? Have you noticed how easy the pine grosbeak is tamed? I saw a lady in the Jersey City depot the other day, with one in a cage, that had only been caught a few weeks, and it would hop down into her hand and feed. It was very fond of apple seeds. She said it sang finely. I have seldom seen a bird that looked so clean and healthy in captivity George A. Boardman Auk, XIV, Apr., 1897, P 7 - JLt/wvvA Tlcu) tyinM. - Aquila chrysaetos. — A Golden Eagle was shot, wounded and captured at Clinton early in May, 1896, and was kept in captivity for some time. Our second record. — Egbert Bagg, Utica. N. V. Capture of the Golden Eagle at Gravesend, L. I. — On Octo- ber 6, 1877, 1 had the good fortune to procure a male Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetus) in this vicinity. He was a fine, full-grown specimen, and gave the following measurements: length, 32.75 inches ; extent, 78.25; wing, 22.50; tail, 14.00. — Frank E. Johnson, Gravesend, L. I. Bull N. O.O. 4, July, 1879, p. r— — — The Golden Eagle in the Hudson Highlands. — This splendid bird, which was formerly quite characteristic of this wild mountainous region, is now becoming quite scarce. It was formerly known to nest upon the cliffs on the west side of the Hudso-n, north of West Point ; and it is .still a problem whether at least one pair do not still breed there. I have never been able to discover any nest, though I have carefully ex- amined each of the three principal ledges lying between West Point and | Cornwall ; but these cliffs are so vast and inaccessible, that it is impossible to examine them satisfactorily from either top or bottom, even with the aid of a good glass. As I have seldom undertaken these fatiguing excur- | sions during their breeding season, I have not ascertained the fact of their presence there at that season ; but in winter I have occasionally seen a single individual flying near the top of the mountains. Several years ago, a Golden Eagle was shot opposite those cliffs by a farmer at Cold Spring, while in the act of destroying a goose belonging to \ the farmer. A few days since, through the kindness of my friends, Professor Robert Donald and Mr. Sanford R. Knapp, of Peekskill, T examined a finely mounted specimen of this Eagle, in the possession of the latter gentleman. It was in the plumage of the young male (the basal two-thirds of the tail being white), and measured seventy-eight inches in expanse. It was shot by a farmer three miles east of Peekskill, on the 16th of November, 1877. A third specimen was taken in the Palisades of the Lower Hudson in | October, 1875. This was a fine adult specimen. The sportsman who shot ! ^ sa -id that “ he saw it in a tree over his head, and killed it with a charge | of No. 9 shot.” I have seen this Eagle on several occasions, but never in summer. In March, 1876, two Golden Eagles were found in a certain spot in Put- nam County for several weeks, but I did not succeed in shooting them. In April, 1872, I saw one twice, whose tail was all white, save a narrow terminal bar of black. An aged hunter, Mr. William LeForge, positively asserts that Eagles nest upon the cliffs north of West Point. In support of this statement, he related to me, in substance, the following circumstance : A few years ago, j (about ten ?) on the occasion of the death of an old man, who lived the life of a hermit, near the summit of a mountain between “ Cro’s Nest ” and “ Storm King,” the remains had to be carried down to the foot of the | mountain to the river. On their way down the company (conducted by LeForge) halted at the foot of a ledge, where their attention was attracted j th e “ hissing ” of some young Eagles on the rocks above them. — Edgar A. Mearns, Highland Falls, N. Y. /t /od ici The Golden Eagle in New Jersey. — The publication of Mr. Stone’s excellent list of ‘ The Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey ’ reminds me of an unrecorded adult Aquila chrysaetos taken at Vineland, New Jersey, February 19, 1868, and now in my collection. It was sent to me in the flesh by a relative living in Vineland. My notebook says the bird was killed with a club, having gorged itself with portions of a deer recently shot. — Jno. H. Sage, Portland , Conn. Auk, XII, April, 1895, The Golden ^agle’iri' Nfew Jersey.*— §§Sfer^?recordf' of the recent occurrence of the Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) in the Eastern States are so rare that each one seems worthy of note. The following instance happened in New Jersey, on the Crosswicks Creek, about seven miles south of Trenton. The bird was captured by my friend the Rev. W. E. Daw, now of Towanda, Pa., in the late fall of 1888, as near as can now be ascertained. I append part of a recent communication received from him in regard to the Eagle, in answer to my note of inquiry for particulars regarding it. Efforts made to obtain more accurate information from the taxidermist as to the exact date of capture have entirely failed. “ regard to the ‘ bird of freedom ’ m3' memory is very rusty as to the time when it was shot, but the place I remember distinctly. I was sitting in my boat up Crosswicks Creek, quietly waiting for squirrels in the chest- nut woods of Alfred Reid (I being somewhat hidden by the bushes to which the boat was tied), when the Eagle sailed overhead, and was about to light in a tree when I fired a charge of duck shot and broke his wing neai the shoulder. He fell in the water and was floating down stream when I fired squirrel shot in his head and he was still. I have looked up my diary but can find no record of the date when I shot him, but think it was late in the fall in 1888 ; time of day, about five o’clock. The bird is still in my possession. He measured 6 feet 4 inches from tip to tip. Iam positive he is a Golden Eagle for he is feathered to the toes and has the characteristic arrow-head feathers on head.” — William C. Braislin, Brooklyn , N. V. Albinistic Plumages. E. Deane 26. Aquila chrysaetos. Golden Eagle. — Naum an n (Yol. I, p. 211) cites Gmelin’s Falco albus as a -white variety of this species, and says that a wholly white variety doubtless occurs. Bull N, O.O. 5, Jan., 1880, p, 2© June 1887.] AND OOLOGIST. 85 Zonotrichia albicolis , White-throated Sparrow. (209). Common winter resident. Arrived Oct. 23rd, 1886. Spizella monticola, Tree Sparrow. (210)/ One secured out of a large flock Jan. 30th, 1886. Spizella socialis, Chipping Sparrow. (211). Common resideut. Spizella pusilla, Field Sparrow. (214). Com- mon resident. Junco hy emails, Slate-colored Junco. (217). Common winter visitant. Arrived Oct. 21, 1886. Melospiza fasciata, Song Sparrow. (231). Common winter visitant. Passerella iliaca, Fox Sparrow. (235). One seen Dec. 9th, 1886. Pipilo erythrophthalmus , Chewink. (237. Common winter visitant. Arrived Oct. 16th, 1886. Cardinalis cardinalis, Cardinal Redbird. (242). Common resident. Habia ludovicidna, Rose-breasted Grosbeak. (244). Mr. A. J. Taylor shot one and gave it to me in the fall of 1885. Passerina cyanea. Indigo Bunting. (248). Common summer resident. Arrives May 7th, 1886. Spiza americana , Dickcissel. (254). One seen Sep. 12th, 1886. Piranga erythromeJas , Scarlet Tanager. (161). One seen in the summer of 1884. Piranga rubra , Summer Tanager, Summer Red-bird. (164). / Common summer resident. Arrived May 17th, 1886. Proguesubis, Purple Martin. (152). Com- mon summer resident. Arrived Apr. 9th, 1886. Petrochelidon lunifrons , Clift' Swallow. (153). One seen June 21st. 1886. Chelidon erythrogaster, Barn Swallow. (154). Common summer resident. Chiricola riparia, Bank Swallow. (157). Com- mon summer resident. Arrived Apr. 9th, 1886. Ampelis cedrorum, Cedar Waxwing. Paroquet. (151). Winter visitant. Arrived Sep. 11th, 1886. Lanius borealis , Great Northern Shrike. (148). Prof. Caldwell says he has seen it in winter. Virtjo olivacens, Red-eyed Vireo. (135). Common summer resident. Arrived May 6th, Vireo noveboracensis , White-eyed ( Vireo. (143^. Common in the fall of 1886. Mniotilta varia, Black and White Warbler. (74). A not very common summer resident. Dendroica aestiva, Yellow Warbler. (93). Common summer resident in 1884 and 1885, but only a few noticed in spring and fall in 1886. Dendroica coronata, Myrtle Warbler. (95). (Secured Jan. 16th, Sep. 21st and Sep. 23rd, 188,6. Aendroica dominica albilora, Sycamore War- bler}, (103). Three or four seen Sep. 6th, 1886. Dehdroica virens, Black-throated Green War- bler. (107). One secured Sep. 21st, 1886. Siurits noveboracensis, Water Thrush. (116). Seen Aug. 19th and 24th, 1886. Geothlypisformosa , Kentucky Warbler. (119). One seen Nov. 28th. 1886. (r eothlypis trichas, Maryland Yellow-throat. (122). Common summer /esident. Arrived May 7th, 1886 Sylvania canadensis, Canadian Warbler. (127). Very cbmmon in tile fall of 1886. Mimus polyglottus, Mockingbird. (11). Com- mon resident. Galeoscoptes carolinensL, Catbird. (12). Com- mon summer resident. Arrived Apr. 19th, 1886. Harporhynchus rdfusJ Brown Thrasher. (13). Common summer resident. Arrived Apr. 18th, 1886. Tryothorus ludovicfpuus, Carolina Wren. (60) . Several seen in the fall id 1886. Troglodytes a'edoti, Ho’use Wren. ^63). Com- mon resident. ) ■Troglodytes hiemalis, Waiter Wren. (65). One brought to me in the fall of 1885 by Mr. T. L. M’Cutchen. Certhia familjaris americana. Brown Creeper. (55) . Common winter resident. Arrived Sep. 21st, 1886. Sitta carolfnensis, White-breasted Nuthatch. (51) . Common resident. Sitta canadensis , Red-breas^d Nuthatch. (52) . Common winter resident. \ Arrived Nov. 16th, 1886./ Parus bicola, Tufted Titmouse. (39). Com- mon resident. Will enter a trap 'baited with bread. So will the next species. \ Parus atricapillus, Chickadee. (\l). Com- mon resident. Begulus calendula , Ruby-crowned) Kinglet. (30). One seen Oct 14th, 1886. Polioptila ccerula, Blue-gray Gnatfeateher. (27) i A not uncommon summer resident. Turdus mustelinus , Wood Thrush. (1). /Com- mon summer resident. Arrived March \25th, 1886. \ ■Turdus fiicescens, Wilson’s Thrush. (2). fVof. Caldwell gives it as a migrant. Turdus aonalaschkal pallasii, Hermit Thrus (56) . One seen Oct. 23rd, 1886. Merula migratoria , Am. Robin. (7). Com-\ mon winter resident. 86 ORNITHOLOGIST [Yol. 12-No. 6 A Trip After Golden Eagle’s Eggs. BY J. R. CHALKER, WATSONVILLE, CAL. Having decided to take a trip after Golden Eagle’s eggs ( Aquila chrysaetus canadensis ) , on March 7th, 1887, I left my pleasant little room and in true California tramp style, started foi San Benito County. Now the true California “ rustieator,” as tramps here are called, always pack their own blankets and sleep where night over- takes them — that is my style ; 1 pack my own blankets, rifle, hatchet, spy glass and egg box, and sleep where night finds me. On March 7th, with my pack on my back, I started over the dusty road that took me to San Juan. Having heard from a friend of mine an eagle had a nest on some high rocky cliff's this side of San Juan, I determined to find it. I at last saw a couple of eagles flying swiftly toward a high steep rock, and one of the birds lit on what appeared to be a jutting ledge on the face of .the cliff'. With my spy glass I saw it was a nest. Walking to the bottom of the mountain and laying down my load, I started for the top, smiling to think of my luck the first day, and wondering if I could not find a hiding place to stow the eggs away, until I returned at the end of my trip. With these thoughts in my mind I hurried up the hill, and as I approached nearer and nearer the cliff's, the higher it seemed to grow. At last standing under the cliff I could see the nest was an old one of last year’s or more, but I noticed in the bottom of a small cave in the face of the cliff the edge of a new nest, and up above another nest. After a good look from below I went above on top of the rock, aud I could then see in one of the old nests, but I al- so quickly saw there was no way of getting to the new nest from above, and I quickly con- cluded I could not walk up the almost perpen- dicular rock to the nest above some thirty or forty feet ; so returning to my pack X thought it would not be necessary to find a hiding place to put the eggs away, and I also concluded no other person would disturb them just at present. Shouldering my pack I walked the rest of that day, and camped at night under a water tank, where I slept in a straw stack, as the harvest hands in this country do. That night I did some lofty thinking about that eagle’s nest, and concluded that in time, by means of a drill and some dowels, I could reach the nest. In the night I awoke, and near the water tank was an Old Barn Owl flying, and the moon was shining brightly, while the coyotes were singing or fighting (hard to tell which), on the hill sides of the Gabilan Mountains. The beautiful San Juan Valley seemed asleep. It was a lovely night. I awoke very early and started for the San Benito River, and having shot a rabbit I intended to roast it for dinner. After crossing the San Benito River, and climbing over numerous barb wire fences, I reached the eagle’s nest of last year, from which I took the handsomest set of eggs I ever saw, and from which I expected to obtain another set this season; but my calcula- tions were in vain, for the nest was ragged and partly torn down. Continuing my journey I arrived at Tres 1* i nos at 3 p. m. and camped near the town. Having purchased supplies for the next few days I determined to take a trip next day to a nest I found on April 5th, 1886, which then con- tained two young eagles that had been hatched a week or so before. At the time I found the nest last year the eagles were about the size of pigeons, and covered with white silvery down. They were curious looking objects, with their big heads, bills and eyes ; and did not seem to know just what to make of such a looking crea- ture as I climbing up the main body of the tree beside them; for the nest was placed on a limb a few feet from the main tree. On the nest side of the young birds were two freshly killed and partly eaten squirrels, and the egg shells that had not as yet been removed. Lat- er, on May 3rd, I climbed to this nest to take a last look at the young birds and found them grown very large and nearly full size, and the only change in the plumage was that the pri- mary and secondary quills had grown about an inch long. The young birds did not seem to take much notice of me and one concluded to go to sleep, but the other fellow thought I bet- ter be watched. I was up in the tree more than thirty minutes, and the old birds now and then flew around at a distance of one hundred yards or more, and then would occasionally light on an old dead tree high up on the side of the mountain. On the 9th of March, of this year, I left Tres Pinos to go to this nest, and arriving there 1 found the nest torn down and no new one started; so after wandering around for two or three miles to an old nest built years before, I was surprised to see an eagle light on an alder bush, and after taking a good sized limb in her bill, snap it off and fly away, carrying the limb AND OOLOGIST. 87 June 1887.] in her bill and depositing it on the old nest. 1 visited this nest again on March 16th, but it had apparently been forsaken. I hunted till March 11th, before I obtained my first set of Golden Eagle’s eggs. I had been watching a pair of eagles all the morning with my glass, and had walked till I felt tired. While sitting under a tree I saw an eagle going through the diving process ; which consists of a series of downward pitches with the wing's closed, to be then suddenly opened and shoot upward. This seems to be an act of joy. as they frequently utter their musical cry just be- fore or after this process. 1 have noticed that this act is committed just after the female leaves the nest or just before she goes on. Going- over the next ridge I saw the female go through the same operation, and then swoop down and light in an oak tree. With the aid of my glass I could see her on the nest. She flew off when I got within a hundred yards, and left me to my own investigations. After climbing to the nest, which was very small, (not larger than an old Red-tail Hawk’s nest), I saw it contained two nice eggs, which I lowered to the ground in my handkerchief; and then measuring the string I found the nest was forty-five feet in height from the ground. It was composed of large sticks, with a lining of dried grass, green twigs and a few feathers. This was the most shapely and compact nest I have ever seen that was built by a Golden Eagle. The eggs were of the usual shape, and the markings on each were quite different. One egg is quite light, having a white ground color covered with thick lilac spots and blotches,- with only a few blotch- es of dull reddish brown near the smaller end. The other is apparently free from any lilac markings, but is thickly covered with reddish brown spots, being confluent on the smaller end in one mass of reddish brown. This set of eggs was slightly incubated. On March 15th, having been down the coun- try a long distance, and finding nothing, I con- cluded to return by way of Tres Pinos and take one more trip to Santa Anna foot hills and vicinity. On the 16th I went for an all-day’s w r alk over the rough country near Santa Anna Peak, and after walking till nearly night I noticed an eagle fly from a steep hill that had a few live oak trees growing from its side. I looked it over with my glass and found a bunch that looked familiar; and while going to it, and very near it, the eagle flew from the nest. This was in a live oak tree and was much larger than the first nest I found. The eggs of this set were quite different from one another, one being lightly, and the other darkly marked. This set was slightly incubated. With two sets of eggs I determined to go home, and starting in the evening I walked to an old barn and took possession, for I pre- ferred to be under cover the way the weather looked. Next morning by crossing the San Benito River I headed for the Gabilan Mountains. After walking all the morning I was surprised to hear an eagle cry, and I quickly got out my glass. Resting it over a convenient post I lo- cated him in the top of a live oak tree, where I could see his head sticking out among the leaves. After he had screamed once or twice he raised his wings and flew away over the ridge. After looking at all the principal trees I decided the nest must be in a big live oak tree on the north slope of the hill; and after looking in most of the other trees 1 came to the right one, and saw the nest in a crotch by the side of the main trunk of the tree. It was completely hidden from outside view by the thick foliage of the tree. Rapping on the tree with my hatchet the female flew from the nest. Having climbed to the nest I was astonished, for before me lay two white eggs. Never having seen or heard of a Golden Eagle laying white eggs, I thought I had a great curiosity. This nest was forty- two feet from the ground, and was of large size and composed of sticks, dried grass and a few feathers, but no green twigs. This set of eggs was slightly more incubated than the others I found. One egg is pure white while the other has a few reddish brown markings on the smaller end. While sitting under the tree blowing the eggs, the old bird returned and lit over my head near the nest, and I had a fine view of one of our noblest birds. No bird to my mind can excel the Golden Eagle in dignity while perching, or in graceful motions while on the wing; now sweeping in graceful motions round and round, higher and higher until lost in the canopy of Heaven, and again with slow and steady beat crossing from peak to peak, he alights on some high crag and sweeps the val- ley with his fearless eye. When I arose from the ground she flew away, and I made my way to the old historic town of San Juan, and went to the village black- smith and at once set him at work on a rock drill. Here I met with fun. The day being cloudy and foggy most of the Mexican and white pop- ulation of the sleepy old town were in and near the shop, and of course, I being a complete stranger, and with nearly all the tools of a 88 ORNITHOLOGIST [Yol. 12-No. 6 THE / ORNITHOLOGIST \ AND / OOLOGIST. \ MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF NAT U R A L HISTORY, ESPECIALLY DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF TB IRDS, THEIR JNE STS AND EGGS. DESIGNED AS A MEA^S Fffe THE INTERCHANGE OF NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ONtBIRD AND INSECT LIFE. F. H. CARPENTER Managing Editor. 409r' Washington Street, Boston, Mass. J. p/EKER NORRIS, (^logical Editor, 204 South Seventh Street, Philadelphia, Penn. FRANK B. WEBSTER, Publisher. 409 Washington St., Boston, Mass. mountain bandit, I excited no small amount of curiosity. The idea of my wanting a drill made was only associated in their minds with mining, and I very soon began to be the object of many nicely framed questions, all tending to find out what and where 1 were working, and whether 1 had struck something rich. After answering some of the questions in a general way to excite more curiosity, and to leave them an item to talk over, I got my new drill and iron dowels and started for the eagle’s nest on the clifF. Having walked a long distance that day 1 camped early, and determined to get the eggs on the morrow. Next morning, feeling re- freshed from a sleep under a shed, I started very early for the cliff. Arriving there I had the pleasure of seeing the sun rise over the Coast Range of mountains. Stripping off my pack I sat down to think and rest, as the climb up hill had given me a good pull. While rest- ing I saw six White-throated Swifts ( Cypselus saxatilis) flying around, and I presume they al- so had selected this cliff as a nesting place. Taking my drill and hatchet I began to chip steps here and there, and by this means got up some eight or ten feet to a small platform just large enough to enable me to stand and turn around. Standing, I drilled a hole up as high as I could conveniently reach, three inches in the rock. Then descending 1 cut from a live oak tree a limb with convenient limbs to step in, and fastening the smaller end to one of my iron dowels I climbed up and placing the dowel in the hole 1 had drilled, I had a safe and con- venient tree ladder. I could drill another hole two or four feet higher, and by using three sep- arate ladders I at length arrived at the nest. (I had drilled two holes before the eagle flew off from the nest). Not being able to look into the nest I pulled part of it away and found among the old sticks, old squirrel bones, and feathers that looked as if they were placed there years ago, and I have no doubt that this same pair of birds have bred there for the last decade. Looking into the nest I saw two darkly marked eggs, and as ornaments one partly eaten squirrel and six meadow mice. These were probably brought to the female by the male for food. This nest was only lined with very fine grass and a few feathers. Placing the eggs in my side pockets I tied my coat together in a bunch back of my arms, and with care managed to get down safely to the ground. After getting my apparatus down I picked up my traps and having partly blown my eggs I started for home some ten miles off, which I reached by nine o’clock, having had one of the most successful and pleasantest trips of my life. This last set of eggs were well in- cubated. They were nearly spherical in shape, and were marked with a dull reddish brown color all over in blotches and spots. Since 1 arrived from my trip, I have taken another set of Golden Eagle’s eggs, which are a curiosity. One egg is pure white, the other brightly marked with reddish brown. The markings are profuse, and the spots and blotches are confluent on the larger end. The nest was in a white oak tree about thirty feet from the ground. It was lined with grass and the long moss so plentiful in California. The measurements of the four sets of Golden Ea- gle's eggs that are now before me, are; First set taken March 11th: 31-32x210-32, 3x210- 32 ; second set taken March 16th, have passed from my hands; third set taken March 17th, 3 2-32 x 2 11-32, 3 1-32 x 2 10-32 ; fourth set taken March 18th, 2 26-32x2 11-32, 2 30-32x210-32; fifth set taken March 29th, 2 30-32 x 2 8-32, 2 27- 32x2 7-32. Measurements of the lighter egg in the clutch are given first. The shells of all are rough and slightly granulated. Golden Eagles are in this section growing fewer and fewer each year, owing to the num- bers of them that are killed by the sheep herd- ers, who shoot them on every occasion in pay- ment for the numbers of lambs taken each year by these birds. O.&O. XII. Jun. 1887 p. V6- JrT. Nesting of the Golden Eagle. liY HARRY R. TAYLOR, ALAMEDA, CAL. Iii the latter part of February 1888, I repaired to Sargents Station, Santa Clara County, Cal. to spend some pleasant weeks of recreation. In a wild, hilly region where the live-oak grows abundantly and not a mile from San Benito county, was my headquarters, and with a good saddle-horse at my disposal and the Gabilan Mountains looming up in the distance I thought my chances for securing eagle’s eggs and other rarities were excellent. On February 2Sth I saddled my sure-footed black horse and galloped off over the hills in search of chicken-hawk’s” nests or any other kind which might be available. The special object of my ride, however, was to try and find the nest of a Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetus canadensis) which I had observed last May in a certain locality in the hills. Two or three days before I had seen this noble bird on the bald top of a little mountain, or big hill, where it remained for over an hour walking about and occasionally disappearing behind the mountain's crest. On this hill-side, somewhat lower down, was a patch of live-oaks where I thought the eagle might have its nest. So toward this steep place I traveled, with as much haste as the nature of the country would permit. Without finding any hawk’s nests on the way, though once fooled into climbing after an old battered Magpie's nest, I and my steed reached the place of the oak trees. Contrary to my expec- tations I failed to find the nest here, and was about to mount my horse and climb to the top of the mountain for a view when I heard a sound of rushing air like the terrible approach of some death-dealing cyclone, and immediately the king of American birds, or it might have been the queen for aught I know, swooped down the mountain side in pursuit of some species of falcon. The big eagle and its smaller playmate sported in the air for a moment, not thirty feet over my head, and then went off in different directions. Unfortunately I watched the falcon instead of the eagle and before long I could not see either of them. Anyway I knew the direction the eagle had taken and I concluded to look carefully in all the trees down in the Canyon, but first gave myself the pleasure of a view from the summit of Bald Top. I hunted without success for the great bird’s eyrie in every large tree in the gulch below. Disappointed again, I still kept up the search. Much farther off I saw some trees which looked big enough to hold the nest and these I determined to examine. I had about looked into all the trees when I saw a big nest on a high limb of a large tree and my heart’s beating was almost audible so excited was I, and on the side of the nest was a white feather! That settled the question certainly, for me, and a sight of the head of a Golden Eagle peering enquiringly over the edge the next moment removed the last doubt I might have had. I then frightened the bird from the nest and it flew off a short distance, circled a little and was lost to sight over a hill. The tree, a live-oak was not a hard one to climb, under the circumstances, and 1 lost no time in getting to the nest. It contained but one egg, nearly pure white, so I scrambled down again, very much elated indeed after seeing my first eagle’s egg in a nest. Feeling by this time that the hour had arrived when nature's demands must receive attention I struck off for home and dinner, to return an- other day for the full set of eggs. On the way back I passed the eagle which was making a bee-line for the nest. On the first of March, three days later, I filled my fish-basket with cotton and started off after this set of eggs. As I neared the nest I observ- ed an eagle sailing majestically far above me, like some great air-ship bound for an unknown port. Coming up to the nest, it seemed unoc- cupied, so I began the ascent of the tree forth- with. When within six feet of the great mass of sticks I was surprised to see the eagle fly off. As I gazed into the nest my eyes were pleased by the sight of two splendid eggs and the last one the bird had laid seemed to me surpassingly beautiful. The first egg laid was almost pure white, or a bluish white, having a very small splash of brown on the large end. The other egg was not quite so long and heavily marked on a white ground with spots and blotches of rich reddish-brown and lilac. The marking be- comes confluent on the larger end where the brown seems to over-lie the lilac. The entire surface of the egg is marked, though much lighter toward the smaller end. The nest was built of oak-sticks and was large, measuring about five by four feet on the top. The nest proper, in the centre, was a nicely rounded hollow composed mostly of old grain stalks and oak leaves with a little moss. Stuccoed into one side were two large soap roots which the eagle perhaps thought orna- mental. On one side lay a half eaten squirrel. While lost in contemplation of the big nest and my rare prizes inside of it 1 had forgotten all about the owner, when I suddenly became aware of some presence near me, and looking ovei my shoulder I saw the eagle hovering not two feet away. I gave vent to a startled, terror-stricken “ hi ! hi !” and struck at it wildly with my hat, at which it flew off far over the hill, probably nearly as badly frightened as I departed with the set of eggs in my basket. The nest was about forty feet from the ground and on another limb, about twelve feet below, was another nest, evidently a very old one. Doubtless the tree has been used as a nesting place by eagles for half a century*, Q.&O. XIII, Nov. 1886 p.172-3 Aug. 1888.] AND OOLOGI& 119 ful plunges in pursuit of his finny pr^y. At last he was successful and brought to .the sur- face of the water a Mullet that as Wear as I could judge would weigh about tWo pounds. With a shake he divested his feathers of all un- necessary weight in the shape of* water, and started t'o fly slowly toward a lartge dead tree where he eould enjoy the fruit o/his labor. He had nearly reached the tree when all at once he uttered a cryXand with quick hurried flappings started to fly coward the heavens. For a min- ute I could uo't understand this change of tactics and was wondering/ what had happened to the Hawk, wnten actor No. 2 appeared in the shape of a Bald Eagle, with wings set, com- ing straight toward hisAdctim with the velocity of the wind. They met and then began a series of aerial evolutions, that made me hold my breath as I watchedAiursued and pursuer each struggling to outdo the other. The Hawk had quite a start, but jhch by inbh the Eagle gained on him until . with a last despairing cry the Hawk dropped mis fish. Fob a second I saw the silvery sides of the Mullet flash in the bright sunlight as it fell toward the earth, and in another se/ond I saw the Eagle falling rapid- ly head firs/ toward the fish whibh it caught before it l/id fallen one hundred i-eet. With an upward/swoop the Eagle gained his equilib- rium aud/sailed rapidly toward a neighboring dark pii/) forest that undoubtedly contained his nest ThisAvas the final act of a drama enacted in nature's own theatre and it left me with a feel ing of uncertainty as to whether I had been /e air chasing the Hawk with the Eagle oi whither I was standing on terra firma during the performance. Nesting of the Barred Owl in Mass. BY C. L. PHILLIPS. TAUNTOIf, MASS. April 28, 1888, while exploring a large, dense swamp in South Dighton, Mails., I was so fortu- nate as to find the Barred Owl ( Strix nebulosa ) breeding. The nest was /laced about thirty feet high, in the fork of a swamp maple. The owl had evidently utilized an old Red-should- ered Hawk’s nest, siniiply adding a few pine twigs and lining it Wiiji downy feathers and moss. The nest contained two white, translu- cent eggs, measuring 36x44 mm. and 57 x 46 mm. respectively. \ I sat down and watched for the owl’s return; she soon made her appearance, approaching slowly and caut had got within sly from tree to tree. She twXs. rods of her nest when a crow came diving down on her back; taken by surprise she took to flight and soon disappeared in the .dark recesses of the\wamp with corvus in hot pursuit. / A Trip to San Benito County After Golden Eagle’s Eggs. BY J. R. CIIALKER, HEALDSBURGH, CAL. This year I left San Francisco on March 5th, 1888, and after riding to the San Benito County line, I got off at a small station, packed up my outfit of blankets and other materials and struck off into the hills. Having been shut up in the city for three months I felt as though I could storm any eagle in his strong hold and carry away the best works of art in his castle. I had not proceeded more than a mile before I saw an eagle sailing with its mate in circles, and very high up. It being then about one o’clock I knew the female bird was taking some exercise before going on her nest. (I have observed that eagles usually leave the nest near noon and seek it again before three o’clock. If the weather is pleasant and hot the bird is apt to spend almost all day in company with her mate flying and sitting around on the fences and trees. On a windy and cloudy day a little exercise of per- haps thirty minutes is all she will take during that day). Having sat down in an easy position I looked the country over with my glass, and while do- ing so I noticed the female bird fly away over the hills followed by her mate. I knew then that her nest was at least a mile away and might be two. Over the hills I went and after hunting a while I found the nest in a big live oak tree. This made me happy and I forgot my city legs were beginning to give out with only a three hours’ walk. I, however, was soon up to the nest. It was empty, although a new nest. The nest was ready to lay in but the cold weather had made the birds backward and they had not laid yet. I had two weeks to walk some sixty miles, to get around to my old nests and I plainly saw I could not get back to get the eggs that would be in this nest in a couple of weeks, so I con- soled myself with the thought that I might strike it again next year. Picking up my traps I decided to go and see the Tar Springs, so called. I had heard about 10 120 ORNITHOLOGIST [Yol. 13-No. 8 the country near the springs as being favorable places for eagles, and that it used to be a great place for California Vultures; also that they used to breed a few miles back in the heavy red- woods, and much other information about this locality. I spent the best part of two days in this sec- tion and never saw either an eagle or a Califor- nia Vulture, but did find the asphaltum springs and saw them sending out their sticky tar all over the face of the hill. I saw some fossil shells in a streak of gravel that were very per- fect, and a little farther on a cow that had got in a tar hole and was apparently becoming fos- silized, as nothing could get to her; even the Coyotes and Turkey Buzzards had to stand back and look on. Crossing the Pajaro river I started for Wat- sonville and about three o’clock found a new eagle’s nest in a big red-wood. 1 could see the old bird on the nest, as the tree was on the side of a gulch. 1 went down in the gulch to the bottom of the tree and there it stood, five feet in diameter and not a limb for thirty feet up. I had a mind to give it up as the nest was high (94 feet) and the limbs large. On the lower side of the tree was another red-wood that stood close to this one and whose branches lapped across over on to the limbs of the big red- wood. I cut some pieces of wood, and having cut a notch in each tree I placed one of my pieces of stick and hammered one end down till it was solid. In this way I made a ladder between the two trees and got up quite a distance, and then by using a tree ladder which I hooked over the second limb of the small tree, I had things ready for a good start in the morning. I slept near the tree and the first thing I heard in the morning was the old eagle on her nest calling to her mate. It was very foggy and as I was in a hurry to get the eggs, I went to my last night’s work and started up the tree. I climbed up within four feet of the old bird and could have caught her by the tail with ease, and would have done so if the eggs would only have kept whole dur- ing the performance, so I spoke to her kindly and said “old eagle, good morning.” She turned her head, rose up, took one step for- ward, spread her wings and sailed away. It added one more pleasure to my life to see this sight. There was no hurry, no fear, nothing but dignity. It said, I only leave because I am the weaker, while you are a coward to take ad- vantage of me. I did feel sorry for the old bird, but I had come all the way from the city for what she owned and so I had to rob her. The eggs, two in number, were deeply marked. This nest was made of large sticks and lined with red-wood twigs and straw stubble. It was very large and ninety-four feet from the ground. As it had begun to rain I hurried down and started for shelter but could fiud none that would enable me to keep dry during the night, so I went about two miles to a farm house where I got dried out. It was a pleasure to sit by a good fire in the best of company after be- ing out in a heavy rain nearly' all day. I started the next day for the eagle cliff where 1 took a set of eggs last year. I camped that night in a cave high up on a hill in a big rock. The next day I climbed up to the old nest and found two eggs lightly marked. (The set I took from this nest last year were heavily marked). 1 saw no eagles near this nest and only climbed up to see how it looked, so I was somewhat surprised to see two eggs. I went to Watsonville and from there to a nest from which I took a set of eggs last year. I found it had been fixed up but was forsaken. I then started for Tres' Pinos, and the first night got another soaking which gave me a hard cold. On my second day out from Watsonville I found another nest. I had spread my blanket out to dry on a fence and was enjoying my cold and the sun when an eagle flew by me, and af- ter going nearly half a mile flew into a tree. I waited for her to fly out, and after thinking she might have a nest in that tree and not see- ing her get out, I picked up my glass and gun and went to investigate. On getting close to the tree 1 discovered the nest and presently the bird flew off. This nest was in a white oak tree up thirty-seven and a half feet and con- tained three eggs not heavily marked. This nest was lined with stubble and moss and was apparently an old one that had been used several seasons. 'The three eggs are more elongated than usually is the case with eagle’s eggs. 'The eagle that laid these eggs had a beautiful ring tail. I returned to my blankets and camped that night in a barn. Next day I went to a nest from which I took a set of nearly white eggs last year and found the nest unused. Crossing the San Benito river I traveled to a nest from which I took the first set of eagle's eggs I ever collected and found it torn down. Going to Tres Pinos I found the town boom- ing. Setting out early I went up the Tres Pinos river to a nest from which I took a set of eggs AND 00 Aug. 1888.J last year, but found it deserted ; the eagles were around but I could not find their nest. The birds acted strangely and I believe had no nest within two miles, but were attached to their old home and so they came there to enjoy their nooning and have a good time. On St. Patrick’s day I went to a nest from which I collected a set of eggs last year and was pleased to find a nice set this year, and very similar to those I took last year. This set are quite below the average in size and are nicely marked. Returning to Tres Pinos I took the train home, looking much like the wandering Jew, outside. 1 was well pleased with my success, however. The several sets measure : First set: 2§f inches x 2^ 2 ; 3 x 2 3 a 2 . Second set : 2ff x 2H: 3 x 2^. Third set: 3/, x 2^ ; 3 x 2/ 2 ; 2j$ x 2 3 4,. Fourth set : 2ff x 2 A ; 2ff x 2ff. Incubation, 1st set, one egg fresh, the other advanced ; 2nd set, incubation commenced ; 3rd set, incubation advanced; 4t.h set, fresh. The dates of eggs taken are as follows : 1st set March 7. 1888. 2nd set March 9, 1888. 3rd set March 13, 1888. 4th set March 17, 1888. Coloration of the eggs : 1st set, eggs darkly marked with reddish brown and lilac all over, one darker than the other. 2nd set, one egg nearly white, the other light- ly marked on small end with reddish brown splashes, remainder of eggs sprinkled with dots of brown. 3rd set, eggs light with abundant markings of pale lilac and a few spots of brown. 4th set, eggs lightly marked with lilac and brown, one egg more so than the other. [Mr. Chalker’s success in finding the eggs of this bird has been truly remarkable. In 1886 he found one set of their eggs and de- scribed their taking in The Ornithologist and Oologist for June, 1886, vol XI, p. 85. In 1887 he took five sets. (See The Orni- thologist and Oologist for June 1887, vol. XII, p. 86. This year he has taken four sets. This makes a total of ten sets. Who has beaten this rec- ord?— ,T. P. N.] If every subscriber would make an effort to add one new name to our subscription list, it would result in an immediate increase in the amount of reading matter. While the O. & O. is a permanent publication, its increase in size will depend entirely on the amount of financial support it receives. O.& o. XIII. Aug. 1888 p. lie ~/3l. 10 Golden Eagle s Nest and Eggs. — I wish to place on record the find of a splendid set of Aquila eggs, on the 18th of March. The nest was about seven miles from town in an unfrequented range of hills, with only a few live oaks bordering the gulches. In one of the largest of these this pair of birds had built for three or four years, I should judge from apjiearances. The nest was situated so as to command a view of all the valley before it and hid from behind by a dense mass of limbs and foliage. As soon as I got within a mile of the nest I saw the male leave the place and sail slowly out of sight ; and the female left by the time I was within 300 yards. On climbing to the nest I found the two eggs covered by a fresh twig of oak. Do you not think the old bird placed it there to conceal the eggs ? So I took it. The nest was a cum- bersome affair, and measured fifty inches across and eighteen inches in depth. The eggs were in a slight depression, which was lined with wild oat straw and the hairy tops of the Spanish “ soap-root,” and it was about forty feet from the ground. The eggs measure 2.97x2.25 and 2.87x2.25 and had a white background ; one was thickly spotted on the larger end and the other the same on the small end. I regret that I was unable to get the old birds ; but contrary to the boasted courage of the Golden Eagle I never saw them after they left the place. It was the same when I procured the other eggs, three years ago. JTqI ay Nesting of the Golden Eagle. BY J. E. C., SAN BENITO CO., CALIFOBNIA. On February 15th, 1886, I went to an old nest of the Golden Eagle, ( Aquila chrysaelus cana- densiis), and found that the birds had begun to fit it up with new material. On February 26th I made another trip to the nest, and found two eggs. The nest was in a solitary live oak tree, sur- rounded by wheat fields; and the tree had only been left standing because it grew on the side of a gulch. The birds had built on the south side of the tree, and the nest was composed of large sticks, one of which measured seven inches in cir- cumference. It was lined inside with straw stub- ble, green grass, and green twigs of trees with the leaves attached. It was six feet deep and five feet broad, and was built up nearly four feet from the bottom. It was just thirty-one feet from the ground, as I ascertained by means of a string. Both the eggs were perfectly fresh, and after preparing them I cooked the contents of one of them, as I wished to ascertain how Eagle’s eggs tasted. I found it rather rank, however, and only fit for starvation diet. When I approached the nest I saw no bird, but while I was under the nest the Eagle flew up and lit on the nest over my head. I waited until she flew off again, which she did (with a scream) in thirty-four minutes, and I think she deposited the second egg while I waited, for she did not see me, and I never saw her again after she left the nest. [The set of two eggs, above referred to, are at present in the cabinet of a gentleman in Phila- delphia, where they have been examined by the present writer. They are very handsomely marked specimens and quite spherical in form. No. 1 measures 2.86x2.21, and is of a whitish color, quite heavily marked all over the egg with spots and blotches of bright reddish brown. These become confluent near the smaller end, where they are very heavy, and form an indistinct circle. There is also a large blotch of reddish brown near the larger end, and the shell is quite rough. No. 2 measures 2.89x2.29, thus being slightly larger than the other egg. The ground color is whitish, and is marked all over with small spots of bright reddish brown, which are thickest near the smaller end, but not confluent as in No. 1. The larger end is covered with light lilac markings, and the shell is rough, and slightly granulated. —Ed,] O.& O. XI. J an. 188 Q. p. *6~ Brief Notes. Peculiarly Marked Eggs of the Golden Eagle . — I have just received a set of two Golden Eagle’s eggs that are different from anything I ever saw before. They were collected from a nest that I have known of for several years past, and though it has been robbed several limes, both of eggs and young birds, the old Eagles return every Spring to the same nest, which is placed on a ledge, on the side of a cliff, the only manner of reaching, is fo be lowered over the edge of the cliff by a rope. The set just mentioned were taken in March of this year, eggs were fresh and old bird was on the nest when visited by my collector. The peculiar thing in regard to eggs of this clutch is that they are quite heavily marked with light brown spots and some lilac shell markings. The larger is 2.89x2.40, and shaped like the egg of caraeara, No. 19, pg. 11, of Brewer’s Oology. The smaller is like Ked-tailed Hawk, No. 17, pg. 11, of same work, and coloring and place of mark- ings similar to that egg, the ground being white, however ; size of this egg 2.81x2.34, and markings on smaller end. No. 1 has the markings heaviest on the larger end, where they become confluent, cdncealing the ground color, spots growing fewer and more scattered toward the smaller and more pointed end of the egg. A year or two ago I had another egg from this same nest (the birds laying but one) which was white and without even any lilac shell spots. It was badly broken, having been sent to me unblown, so that I did not measure it. The inside of the shell was a bright green. I have another egg of same species taken in Wyoming in 1871, which is rounder in shape and is covered with shell spots of lilac and very light brown, which I supposed were dirt, until I found I could not remove them with a brush and soap and water. This egg was in a nest with a young Eagle nearly fledged ; egg was addled, size 2.84x2.34. I should like very much to know if any one has a set of Golden Eagle’s eggs that are similar to those described . — Snowdon Howland, Newport, R. I. O.&o.x. June. 1885. p. The Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetus.) San Benito Valley, situated at the southern extremity of Santa Clara Valley, seems to be a favored spot for Golden Eagles. It is no uncommon occurrence to see eight or ten at one time. Their nests are also frequently found, while it seems impossi- ble to force the birds to leave the locality. Last year I took a set of eggs from one nest and killed the old bird (female, meas- uring 83 inches.) This year the male had found a new mate and I was favored with a new set. The eggs measure 2.95x2.20 and 2.90x2.24. The nest was composed : of branches, some of which measure two | and one-half inches in diameter. The lin- ing was of oat straw. Nest measured sixty inches, outside measurement. The bird remained on the nest until I was al- most up to it. Date, March 16, 1884. Another set was taken the next day and was obtained within three miles from town. The nest was somewhat smaller than the first ; lining the same. The eggs are al- most pure white and measure 2.80x2.15 and 2.86x2.20. I would like to hear from some one about the statement that Eagles lay their eggs at intervals of two or three weeks. My experience has not been so with them. — Will Stein- beck, Hollister, Cal. 0<&0. IX. May. 188-4. p. 4V" • Nest of the Golden Eagle. [Aquila clirysoctus canadensis.] By SAMUEL C. EVANS. In Santa Clara County, in the region of Mt. Hamilton, stands a high and bulky mountain, j called Mt. Day. On March 19, 1887, I sought I the vicinity of Mt. Day in order to procure the eggs of the Golden Eagle. In these mountains the Golden Eagle, is not scarce, neither is it plentiful. I found on the above-mentioned day three Eagle’s nests, all of which were inhabited by the birds. Of these nests, two were first found on March 12, but I will speak of them hereafter. This region of country is wild and rugged, clothed with live oaks, white oaks, pines and other trees. The mountains are very steep, and in some places can only be ascended by holding on to poison oak bushes and cutting footholds at nearly every step. The ground is. very loose in many places and hard to get a footing on. Nest No. 1 was a new nest, placed in a large pine tree, which overhung a deep and rocky canon. It was dangerous to climb this tree, so I left it, although I saw the Eagle leave the nest. This nest was first noticed on March 12, 1887. Nest No. 2 was a bulky structure, composed of large dry sticks of the forest, of oaks, syca- mores, etc. It was in a large live oak, about seventy feet from the ground, and contained three eggs. Two of the eggs were spotted with red-brown blotches, while the other was a dirty white color without spots. The eggs were badly incubated. Nest No. 3 was in a live oak, about thirty feet from ground. The nest was as large as any 1 saw (for I found several deserted nests the week before), composed of dry sticks and lined with straw. This nest was first found on March 12, 1887, and had one egg. On March 19, it still had only one egg, so I concluded it was all the bird was going to lay. I think this nest must have been three feet thick, and it was certainly large enough for a man to get into. While at the nest, 1 rested my whole weight [{ (140 pounds), on it, having no other support. The Eagle was very tame, and did not fly till I was within ten feet of the nest. This Eagle builds in these mountains, and in the same nest year after year. Their nests seem to be equally distributed in sycamores, pines, and oaks. The structure in all the nests I saw, live in all, was bulky and very strongly placed in the branches. I never heard this Eagle make a noise on being disturbed, and only in one case did the bird re- turn to the nest while I was at the tree. Q.& O. XIII. June. 1888 p, ?/ LOGIST. m . a / 3 /. 131 Golden Eagles Eggs. — While in camp at Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory, in 1871, one of our party brought in from the mountain in his saddle bag an egg of the Golden Eagle. He found the nest on a ledge of rock on the side of a moun- tain. It was composed of a mass of sticks, in the center of which was a young eaglet neatly neady to fly, and this egg which he brought to me showed no signs of being incubated, and I was only sorry the other egg had hatched out, for I wanted a full set. The old bird showed no alarm, but flew about over head just out of gunshot however. The egg is globular in shape, being nearly as large one way as the other. Ground color of a dirty white, covered with blotches of what I supposed was dirt, but on my rubbing it with soap and water and a brush, it refused to come off. Ming- led with these stains as it were, are shell spots of lilac and purple. So the egg is much darker than any other eagle's egg I have seen. Shell smooth, but not polished. Size, 2.84x2.34. Collected June, 1871, at an elevation of over eight thousand feet, our camp being nearly that height, and the was taken at a much greater height. Other sets containing two eggs are in the collection of Geo. H. Ready, Santa Cruz, Cal., andJ. G. Cooper, of Haywards, Cal. Also, Capt. Chas. E. Bendire, Fort Walla Walla, W. T., and Edwin Dickinson, Springfield, Mass. Mr. Cooper also has an egg of the Cali- fornia Vulture in his collection, which is the only one I know off, though he may have added others since I heard from him. — Snowdon Howland , Newport , R. I. Collection of Rap tores Eggs. J.P.N. I C^y ^’W'C'-D^f , - a ^ 7 kx! — '-'- (/O'aL- V ' i /?y Cl. O^iAr^) i / Ww , £r 1 aJ~ZLs 3 /aa. ZA-^a ^7 ^ / v / / / ^-V^w^v CVtv ^X. *y 7^y(/ . r -^t 'Z^/vx. \ '- f 0~(ZZa'\ T : J\As^a-*s \s^'' j ^ 2 - 'V I^C hW. 6 ^ — ' _ -i /y ' dLiFy r\X ^Ct-i &Ll. c*. Ae. A Cy 3 e^y ,f ( C . Z. /-C./j iy , CUbUx. G f^y , /y ^ /Vf >y ^^ v '. ^-1 C vX SA^vXT 0 >. Irw^ 2~*- ^V^uM^yyk. O-v^v ^ /\aXx^, yAsCVfc ^svi 7~^y^yi^CC 1 ^av, y^A\A J /US' \J(Xw. y / ^ CqLAAA ,^V\, ^ OuJL*y.J>4- S Lj AjLt^ 1 ^ZlZZZ£v (X_ryyS (KN^ tA_*_ 4 LA- VA^»-y ^v*-*«\ (?t^rw *>a», d- Q*, jjLy^ ^AsyfT cTj^ ^Va>w^ ^ ^CjA 6 -^ TZCt ^i+rtXci us&w^. ^Ccri^J- ^rs. Ua^-wl*>(m (a joQC tfv^(>s#vuVl Hav ^ / ^ A, ' . ig^'V tAAA^/ J . ^ w»V«r , '-^ Wv ^ ^“ N * w '**'^ lXk^A^ Qi, ^K^yyJ Ct^-~^G+ m f ^ idf ^Cs/tr^i 't ^ o ^vMj i/^ ^^-vwsJZCT J^AwrwrHA, "^JSSC - ^ ^Jvws— ^^-JL/Xa^C ^XAA^9^ *j! ^/Uvv^X^ A>u-* h*£(j~*s, ”C^vv <-^y# <-# ^v t^Oc | ^ w^T. £w «^SC c>lA ^^ ^ Ovu-v/«. %-t^jl^ ^dysy PUAyv^ TZZ^ J \ rt-z /\^ +T^ / fvy & ^ ^ /U -^, °v OO^U< ''" "*- * ^ — ?V «— J$' l/lyty ^-<-^A- cC. fa* f>~- J^-^_ /^- CAy~C- A cc^ J\sCy & l C-C. J IxtA^" LXc— £^c ^<0 f~yySl jf^C&i-X. Od-<_«U>L^ ' V — ^ , ^r~ C&-£-y ~<-^ -d l/v ^ C^U . j 7^~<^- e -Ap<~ ^TT ^'3 ^ <^w >&-«_*-*— ^ t ^ 'Z^-t>uX C '&~L^u~^-<_ < 7 V~ * A /^r ^ j'V /( ~-&-£-Q_ t CUsLr -j^yV^-\ CTT^-C. Lj[au*-Q, (y_ T!_<~-^ >-t L ^ -r> C7Y-Y KcaXV ffc-Q*. «»-v_ i_^ "* <*_ *^~v_ £?L*_ TjL*~+ — OUUZS& «^txj~'> <2-r^J_ ^ ‘£^_ oXfi^-iL^ «^S_ ' Lxj-c^yJ /J / ^7sp-i*^c s Z^ 2 --*— « Zs\ZaA~j CCr-0^-< '~Cd-^M_^_^_^. - t_c^t— ' — \J ^C/tAT^C -ot^aXA u!» 7 '- -^. ^ l/cTTcp /. - j ' - A ^ ^ v ^ Lx ^ £--'7\ '' 1 -' 77 C-^u^x^uAjTj /£oJt-'t ^^^7s~4^£LAsJLt/^ 6-irtZ^o^ c/J^ZZZs^ TlZjQ- , -4L€_a^ /'/Ps^/i/ 7 .n. m-7) £-^* 1-4. '-/+ «■ f _y{/rSL~ZlXjZZ ' ZCAas'/L XuZi^ ^ 1-^ y^Xs^Cy / ^h- , ly<-y^ / /^ f /Ay'^Vl/] , z? <7n Cx. C&LZ /X<5 . l^c. A jula^ fex c - ?2crU^, 7 s^W^“ '^ M -* 'iX- ^ J-3 ‘tf* (Wxicu^ Ter t 2 r ^..X ’«L_ <^X?i ^ ^X S^6t. /o <( SummerBesidenta on South-west Ooaat of Maine. T.H, Montgomery, Jr,. 352. Bald Eagles. Saw a pair near Bath. C vandO, 2 So Nov, 1390, p,1 61 Exceptional Eggs of the Bald Eagle ( Haliwetus leucocephalus ). — On April 7, 1891, I took a set of two eggs from a Bald Eagle’s nest in a tall dead pine (since fallen) in Lincoln Co., Maine. On April 16, 1892, I took a set of three eggs from the same nest. Incubation had begun in the set of two and was about one third completed in the set of three. Is it possi- ble that there was any connection between the loss of the birds’ eggs in 1891 and their laying three in 1892? The nest was lined with green pine boughs. When I found the nest I went very close to the tree without seeing any bird, and it was not until I fired my gun over the nest that the female flew off. I did not see her again until I was half way up the tree, when both birds appeared on the scene, though at no time did they come very near me. The eggs of the first set measure: — 3.20 X 2.27 and 3.04 X 2.21 in. Second set: — 3.02 X 2.31, 3.03 X 2.20, 2.95 X 2.19. Average for the five eggs: 3.05 X 2.24. — B. G. Willard, Millis, Mass. Auk, XXlll, Apr. , 1900, p- Baxd Eagle. — J. C. Knowlton, Boston, Mass., reports receiving a beautiful speci- men of the Bald Eagle, which was shot near Damariscotta, Maine. Its length was 41 inches, spread of wings, 84 inches, weight Ilf- lbs. On a later visit we noticed another fine specimen, bitt as Mr. K. was absent no measurement was taken. Mr. K. reports two other specimens sent in, one from Portsmouth, N. H., shot Jan. 27, 1882, three feet long, seven feet six inch spread of wing and weighing 13f lbs. Another full plumaged specimen was re- ceived from Damariscotta, Maine, shot on the 19th weighing 10J lbs.O.&O. Vll. Mar. 1882. p. tt» Bald Eagles. The emblem of our country still occurs in New England to a limited extent. Three have been shot within the past week. One at Hazen’s Mills, N. H., another at Kingfield, Me., and the third in Mass. No matter how grand he may appear when alive, or how useless when dead, this noble bird is shot at every opportunity. A procedure to be lamented. — D. F. L. O.&O. XI. July. 1880. P. /(/‘i 7/inter Birds of W ebster^N . H. by Falco. I Bald Eagle, ( Iialueetus leucocephalus). O.&O. X. Jan. 1885. p/y; Birds Obavd. near Holderness tu tt June 4-12, ’85, 5- Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Bald Eapt u n • .. t-AGLE — One individual seen. Auk, V. April, 1888. p .149 Bird# Obs. at Moultonboro, N.H. July 2 i-Aug. IX, 1883 . F. H. Allen Onej Halivetus leucocephalus ^ MjUvK jU aJ Axxkjru J*b. . “ Birds Obs. at Bri drew ater, N.H. July 12 -Sept. 4 , 1883 . F. H. Allen Haliaeetus leucocephalus. — One seen. Auk, VI. Jan. , i 860 , p. 76 /M /— -■ r 7Zu £r ^JL K. *Z~ fo 4i. 4}*^^ , J~ (XJaj tf'jJi- 0*/ 7 7 ?c7; <3 Jt / O-lKAJ f\ (3aJtc£ (ajfjLi 3 V r* '—V-— v_ ; *-• -- &-ck Ll V ^ eA 92 - /ft;: Jferu, /£*jtoL 4^C- ft £^«- c^l /W/v y^'fuL ^ f~ ‘' ^ 7A^t-£W Through September 1890 a White -headed I '?agle haunted the oyster stakes of these: i coves • To tlle naked eye and through a glass I at close range his jacket seemed to be the rare : ! I l£l°ssy black so coveted by collectors. & / 6. XV/.^n I *?/. Hallaeetus leucoceuhalus . "Hawk Plights in Connecticut" by C.C. Trowbridge. Auk, XI 1 , July, 1895, pp. 259-270. Gee under Circus hud so nl us , Ai AAAA- Connecticut, June, 1893, MsXioitiC^ ; q s *.,£ a / / ; 7 / $ 4vr*v. , >i Sides Lor ing, 451. Bald Eagle. ?4ot rare. While out , hunting ducks last winter I wounded a Whistle- I wing, and after chasing him around a while he;took to the old device of diving and stick- ing just the end of his bill out of the water. I I soon lost trace of him and went on but. hap- pened to look back and saw an eagle trying to catch my duck. I ran back hoping to get a shot, but as soon as the eagle saw me he flew away. I saw three more that year, two of ! them at one time. XV, Muq, 199 o/p.86 Winter Notes f rom Stephento-wn, N. T, jBeniamin TTrvAcr * In December one of our local trappers caught a magnificent specimen of the Bald Eagle in a fox trap. O. & O.Vol. 18, Jan. 1893 p.ll (ru. Ct-Ji. 6. Haliseetus leucocephalus. Bald Eagle. — Decidedly less common than formerly, but still to be seen on Oneida Lake. Lewis Point, near South Bay, has been a favorite nesting place for many years. /bbk uy/lXX* ^/Ac( l TCu/ i fcisCZ/^ «. ^2^ £*. u22!r ^c*_*(^ t-fK+X «-<-*-*-C ^ tU>6sCZC r ^ /4-^^jsC ^ C « /'Z* ^ ^ tc<^ + yi r <^< _ /^-h. < ^L,, ^ ^~y* ^CT ^«w yue^l^j o^JL ^ypr ^(^*^y //+~^<£y £j£ZZZT ir^ I.* - /drlr(J *sC Brewer, „aine. / I89(/ I Apr 26 I have not yet received my Eagle, but have paid for him and hired him mounted. He(or it) is described "breast and abdomen pure white; whole back, pure white, with white 'tear drops' on ends of feathers. ; primaries black; head, tail and wings mottled with white; spreads seven feet eight inches. As I know of no such species, I suppose i t must be an Albino. Gan it be Audobon's "Bird of Washington", or Sea Eagle? Letter of iManly Hardy. A hWi. A d-f- c