210 FALCONS. HAWKS, EAGLES, E'l‘t‘.

dist, on roeky elitl's and in the hollow limbs of tall trees. [Li/gs, three to four, varying: from creamy white. hra\il_\' marked with eiItnamon~brown. to pale reddish brown. more or less marked with shades ot‘ the same color,

2'05 x 1'65.

’l‘his speeies is the “Noble, Peregrine” of falconry. It would be diilieult to imagine a bird more highly endowed with qualities whieh make the ideal bird of prey. lts strength of wing and talon is equaled by its courage. N0 bird flies more swiftly than the Duck llawk. Even Teal—those winged bullets—can not escape it. No bird is more daring. l have had Duck llawks dart down to rob me of wounded Snipe lying almost at my feet, nor did my ineffective shots prevent them from returning.

Duck Hawks are generally found near water, where they prey largely on water birds.

“ 0f 20 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry or game birds; 9, other birds; 1, miee; 2. insects; and 4 were empty " (Fisher).

357. Falco columbarius Linn. I’loicox HAWK. AIL—Upper parts slaty blue. :1 broken butt'y or rusty eollar on the neck : primaries barred with white: tail with three or four distinct grayish white bars and a white tip: under parts varying from eream—butl' to deep oehraeeous. streaked with blag-lb ish, exeept on the throat. liltibltltt'l‘ parts t'useous or brownish t‘useous. a broken butt)" eollar on the nape: primaries barred with oehraeeous; tail with three or four incomplete batty bars and a whitish tip: under parts much as in the ad. I... lU'ULtsl3‘OO: \\'.. 8-00; T.. 3.30; B. from N. 4.3

li'cz/un'h.—’l'liis little l-‘aleon b-ars some resemblance to a Duek Hawk, but is mueh smaller.

Ii’z(/:_(/r.~l§t‘t-etls from the nM'thern l'nited States northward: winters from the Southern States southward to South America.

Washington. not uneommon 'l‘. V. Sing Sing. tolerahly common T. V., Apl. 1 to May ll: Aug. 1” to (let. 1.”). (,‘ambridge, common T. \’.. Apl, 10 to May 5; Sept. and (let: oeeasional in winter.

Aha-t. in trees, in hollow limbs. or on elitls. Iii/(m. four to tire. varying from creamy white. more or less heavily marked with reddish brown or ehoee- late, to reddish brown marked with shades of the same color. 1‘65 x 1'20.

“This Faleon, with the exeeption possibly of the Broadwvinged Hawk. is the least shy of all our diurnal birds of prey. and often may be. approached within a few rods. ll frequents the more open country and edges of woods. and is common along,r the shores of large bodies of water. . . .

“ The flight is very rapid and resembles that ol‘ the Wild Pigeon quite closely: nor does the similarity end here, for while sitting on a. tree the general poise is that of a Pigeon in repose, and specimens have been mistaken and shot for the latter bird. . . .