594 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



THE HAWKS OF NEW ENGLAND. 



By WILLIAM E. CKAM. 



DURING the middle ages, while "the noble sport" of falconry- 

 was in vogue, hawks, and to a certain extent all kindred 

 birds of prey, were respected, revered almost worshiped con- 

 temporary naturalists, and even their successors for many cen- 

 turies, placing them at the head of their order, much as man is 

 ranked as the head of all mammals. Recently, however, as scien- 

 tific methods have taken the place of romantic fancies, a change 

 has shown itself, and the whole tribe has been moved down 

 almost to the foot of the list, where in the minds of bird students 

 they occupy a position only a little more dignified than that of 

 the penguins and similar seafowl. Nowadays it is the fashion 

 to speak of them as robbers and butchers, low in their grade of 

 development, and lacking even in intelligence. 



Without denying the justice of all this, I must still confess to 

 a strong admiration for them, having always found them more 

 interesting than any other group of birds. 



Of course, the literature touching this particular subject is very 

 great, and it is almost a hopeless task to try to write anything 

 new; still, since the favor into which the smaller birds have 

 fallen of late has resulted in a rather undeserved oblivion for 

 the once-honored falcon, it may not be out of place to note anew 

 their varieties and characteristics, since their commonness in this 

 country makes study very easy, while their almost forgotten 

 qualities well repay one for a little attention. In speaking of 

 them I shall not class them in the order assigned by the old 

 naturalists viz., as long-winged or noble falcons, short-winged 

 hawks, and ignoble kites and buzzards but according to their 

 size, as they are generally known by farmers and hunters, the 

 bitter enemies that now concede them attention, and take the 

 place of the courtly nobles who treasured them as almost their 

 most precious possessions. 



Of the largest hawks, there are quite common with us the 

 rough-legged, the red-shouldered, and the redtail: the first is 

 known as the winter hawk, the others are the hated hen hawks, 

 and are hardly to be distinguished one from another. From 

 April to November they may be seen sailing in wide circles over 

 the woods and pastures, or perched on some dead tree from which 

 they may overlook their hunting grounds. 



Redtail is probably the heaviest of all our hawks, and he 

 shows his weight as he flies, while a pretty large branch may be 

 seen to bend if he lights on it. He has a fierce, long-drawn, sav- 

 age scream, and his tones are usually angry and harsh. Hen 



