AMERICAN BROWN OR SLATE-COLORED HAWK. 89 



came down, and without any ceremony, or heeding the loud 

 cries of the house-wife, who most reluctantly witnessed 

 the robbery, snatched away a chicken directly before us. 

 At another time, near Tuscaloosa, in Alabama, I observ- 

 ed a pair of these birds furiously attack the large Red- 

 tailed Hawk, squalling very loudly, and striking him on 

 the head until they had entirely chased him out of sight. 

 This enmity appeared to arise from a suspicion, that the 

 Buzzard was prowling round the farm-house for the 

 poultry, which these Hawks seemed to claim as their 

 exclusive perquisite. As this was, however, the 13th of 

 February, these insulting marauders might possibly be 

 already preparing to breed, and thus be incited to drive 

 away every suspicious intruder approaching their nest. 

 In fine weather, I have observed this species soar to a 

 great elevation, and ascend above the clouds ; in this 

 exercise, as usual, the wings seem but little exercised, 

 the ascent being made in a sort of swimming gyration, 

 though while near the surface of the earth the motion of 

 the^wings in this bird is rapid and continuous. 



The male of this species is 12 inches long, and 21 inches in extent, 

 (the /e??icf7e 14 inches long, and 25 in stretch of the wings.) The 

 bill is bluish-black. Cere greenish-yellow. Eye-brows strongly 

 projecting. The iris reddish orange. The upper parts of a deep 

 slate-blue, the feathers shafted with black. Primaries brownish- 

 blacky barred with dusky ; lining of the wing crowded with heart- 

 shaped black spots. Tail 3 inches longer than the wings, nearly 

 even, ash-colored, crossed with 4 broad bands of black, and tipped 

 with white. Over the eye extends a narrow stripe of dull white. 

 Chin white, mixed with black hairs. Breast, belly, and femorals 

 variegated with broad, transverse, brownish spots. Vent pure 

 white. Legs long, slender, and bright yellow. Claws black, re- 

 markably sharp and large. — In a young female which I obtained, 

 of the length of about 14 inches, the feathers of the breast and sides 

 are marked with broadish transverse pale brown bars, which are ter- 

 minated with pointed oblanceolate spots. This particular stage of 

 plumage appeared to be anterior to the last. 



