1036 



Rural School Leaflet. 



IV 



Fig. 9. — Barn Swallow 



'At play in April skies that spread 

 Their azure depths above my head. 

 As onward to the woods I sped, 



I heard the swallows twitter; 

 Oh, skater in the fields of air, 

 On steely wings that sweep and dare, 

 To gain these scenes thy only care. 

 Nor fear the winds are bitter." 



— John Burroughs 



The Hawk 



There are some thirteen different kinds of hawks found in New 

 York State. All of these are characterized by strong hooked bills i 



and long, powerful talons such as are always portrayed on our 

 national bird, the bald eagle, which is a member of the hawk family. 

 In size they range from the small sparrow hawk which is not much 

 larger than a robin to the immense eagle which is nearly twice the size 

 of a crow. In color most of them are dark brown, but there are all 

 gradations from the pearl-gray marsh hawk to the almost black 

 rough-leg. Their food consists largely of insects and small mammals, 

 birds and poultry forming an insignificant part of the diet of most species. 

 They are, therefore, of great economic importance in checking the 

 increase of small rodents which are so destructive to crops. 



