120 BULLETIN 16 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL. MUSEUM 



The woodpecker was drilling and prying off chips with apparent unconcern, 

 while the hawk looked on with seemingly hungry eyes. While we were watch- 

 ing, the hawk flew to a branch a few feet above the woodpecker. Pileated 

 tilted his head and gave the hawk a sidelong glance and then deliberately 

 flew toward him and drove him from the tree. With the hawk gone, the 

 woodpecker went on with his drilling as though nothing had happened. 



Lewis O. Shelley has sent me the following note: 



In May 1929, while I was watching a wave of migrating warblers from the 

 partly sheltered location beneath an old-growth white pine, in a wood not more 

 ihan a hundred yards wide, my attention was called to a Cooper's hawk 

 erratically flapping back and forth overhead, diving now and then at something 

 I could not see and accompanying each dive and rise with its screamed cry. 

 Finally I detected a flicker dodging among the pines in what seemed to me 

 perfect safety if it had only alighted instead of dodging. But it was bewildered 

 for it continued flying from one side to the other of the woods, the hawk fol- 

 lowing each movement just under the treetops. Then, when the flicker made a 

 headlong flight toward the open and a scrub apple tree, the hawk gained speed 

 and lunged, checking its speed with spread wings and spread tail thrown 

 downward and forward as it struck its prey, turned, and carried its booty in 

 under a pine, commencing to pluck the feathers before the flicker's cries had 

 died out. I examined the remains of the feast and found only the bill and a 

 carpet of feathers ! 



Crows often attack Cooper's hawks, as they do owls, sometimes 

 singl}^, but more often in mobs, chasing the hawk about until it is 

 forced to seek refuge in the woods. Sometimes the tables are turned 

 and the ha\N'k chases the crows, though I doubt if this often results 

 fatally for the crow. Joseph JSIailliard (1908) once saw a pair of 

 these hawks attacking a flock of crows. The crows were quietly 

 perched in some dead trees. "One hawk would perch on top of a tree 

 above the crows, while the other would go off a little way and then 

 swoop down on the flock, repeating the operation with variations." 



H. W. Henshaw (18T5) writes: 



While sitting in my tent one day at Camp Apache, I noticed one of these 

 hawks making repeated attacks upon a raven. It would force the raven to take 

 refuge in a ti'ce. and then fly to some neighboring perch and take its stand. The 

 moment the persecuted raven essayed to move away, the hawk flew out and 

 swooping down upon it struck it and again forced it to cover. This was repeated 

 several times, and apparently for no other reason than for the amusement of 

 the hawk ; though, judging from the discontented squawks and cries which the 

 abused raven gave vent to, the pleasure was by no means mutual. So engrossed 

 was the falcon in this sport that it allowed me unnoticed to walk up within a 

 few feet, when my gun settled the dispute. 



About its nest Cooper's hawk is usually shy, flying swiftly away 

 and generally not returning to protest, although it sometimes flies 

 about cackling. When there are young in the nest it is much bolder ; 

 1 have had one dash at me while I was near the nest tree or alight in 

 the tree near me while I was at the nest. I once saw one attack a 

 great horned ovrl that came too near its nest. 



