CANNIBALS IN COURT 



337 



Chicken and Hen lliuvk. I hide my nest in the lengths 

 of thick evergreens, or on a rocky ledge, and all the 

 year round I take my own wherever I find it. I prefer 

 to prey on birds — Dove or Sparrow, Robin or Thrusli, 

 song bird or Croaker — all are alike to me. I consider 

 myself a true sportsman, and 

 I do not like such tame game 

 as mice or frogs. I pounce 

 or dart according to my 

 pleasure ; I can fly faster 

 than any one of you, and 

 few small birds escape my 

 clutches. Sometimes in win- 

 ter I make my home near a 

 colony of English Sparrows 

 and eat them all for a change, 

 just to see how it feels to be 

 of some use to House People; 

 but in spite of this I am a 

 bold, bad bird, and as every 

 one knows it I may as well 

 say that I take pride in my 

 reputation, and do not in- 

 tend to reform ! " 



" Guilty ! " said tlie Eagle 

 solemnly. " Red-shouldered 

 Hawk next." 



The Red-shouldered Hawk 

 held up his head j^roudly and returned the Eagle's gaze 

 without flinching. He was a fine muscular bird, stand- 

 ing a little under two feet high, with deep rusty-red 

 shoulders and reddish-])rown back, while liis head, neck, 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



