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MAY, 1913 A STUDY OF THE NESTING OF THE MARSH HAWK 103 Sheathed feathers began to appear in the oldest birds at the tips of the wings on July 8, when they were seven days old. On July 14, when twelve and thirteen Fig. 30. THE LAST YOUNG HAWK TO LEAVE THE NEST, AGED 33 DAYS; PHOTO TAKEN AUGUST 4 days old, the birds began to show fear and crawled back in- to the cinquefoil bushes when I approached. When I attempted to handle them, they sat up and threatened me with their beaks, and called in a high, squeaky, baby voice. On July 17 the feathers at the tips of the wings began to break the sheaths, and sheathed feathers were appear- ing thickly on back, shoulders. breast and tail. At this time the feet and cere were beginning to turn from a light pinkish color to yellow. On July 22 the feath- ers were breaking the sheaths in many places. those at the tipg of the wings being broken for about two inches of their length. The feet and cere were now bright yellow. The birds stood with outstretched wings and open beak, turning to face me no matter to which side of the nest I went. They were in about the same condition on July 24, so that I found it almost impossible to handle them. graph of them they crawled off into the bushes, so that I could only get two at a time in the picture. During the week following ' this the birds changed rapidly. Feathers unsheathed all over them, and much of the white down came off. On August 4, ? when the birds were thirty-three and thirty-four days old, 1 ap- I? proached the nest and found ] _three of them able to fly a little. , One rose at my approach and flapped away for about I5O feet before it sank in the grass. When I first saw it rise, I thought it the mother bird until I had had time to note the fresh plumage and absence of holes in the wings. Two others rose after this one and flew a short dis- tance. I caught one of these, When I attempted a photo- Fig. 31. YOUNG MARSH HAWK AGED 34 DAVS; PHOTO TAKEN AuGusT 4, 1912, NEAR CHOUTEAU, MONTANA and took my last photographs of it and of the bird that had remained in the nest. This was my last visit to the nest and my last sight of the birds, as I left on a trip into the mountains the next day.