BIRDS OF THE REGION 139 



a zone-tailed hawk, many sparrow hawks, and a few 

 prairie falcons. There would be more golden eagles, 

 as shown by many old and unoccupied nests, but for 

 the goat industry and the fondness of these powerful 

 birds for young kids. It is perhaps well for the young 

 of some of the game animals, especially antelopes, 

 deer, and mountain sheep, that the eagles are not more 

 numerous. Nevertheless, it is almost a daily occur- 

 rence to see one or more of these great birds soaring 

 high above, scouring the cliffs for game, or making a 

 long dive into the valley for a jack rabbit. The 

 western red-tails are perhaps the commonest breeding 

 hawks along the cliffs and canyon walls, where bulky 

 stick nests are often seen. Sparrow hawks also breed 

 along the cliffs, and occasionally a prairie falcon. A 

 ferruginous rough-legged hawk came into the entrance 

 of the cave on windy days in April and sat in an 

 old nest under the great archway, perhaps its own nest 

 of previous years, but the many visitors kept it away 

 except when it was driven to shelter by raging storms. 

 Many carcasses of these big, beautiful, and useful hawks 

 were strewn along the roadsides in the valley, having 

 been shot from passing automobiles as the birds sat on 

 fence posts or telephone poles watching for ground 

 squirrels, their favorite food. Few hawks are of 

 greater value to farmers in the plains and prairie 

 country where ground squirrels are a serious pest, and 

 few do less harm to birds, game, or poultry. One Swain- 

 son hawk, another harmless species and very useful as 

 a grasshopper and rodent destroyer, was seen dead by 

 the roadside, the only one noted where there should 



