DUCK HAWK 59 



fully high in air, dashing down with set wings toward the river, with a duck hawk 

 a few feet behind. Just above the water the hawk suddenly accelerated, tapped 

 the cormorant lightly on the back, then circled easily away, while the frightened 

 quarry took refuge unharmed in the water. Frequently falcons at play dashed 

 at top speed through milling flocks of flying sandpipers, scattering them like 

 leaves in the wind, but not striking any of them. 



Dr. Winsor M. Tyler tells me that he saw a duck hawk swoop 

 down several times at some feeding hens; the hawk never came nearer 

 than 4 or 5 feet and apparently was not attempting to strike them; 

 the hens did not seem to be much alarmed, except when the hawk 

 was just above them. 



Alexander Sprunt, Jr., has sent me some interesting notes on some 

 flight performances of a group of seven of these falcons, as observed 

 by him and his companions on Grandfather Mountain, N. C, about 

 the first of August 1930, from which I quote as follows: "Hardly had 

 we seen the pair when three more appeared above the first two, 

 circling rapidly. To the five already in the ah' came another and 

 another, until the whole seven were wheeling and swooping about at 

 close range. Then began a series of aerial evolutions that were 

 worth far more than the exertion we had expended in reaching our 

 lofty observation post. Pair after pair of the falcons would come 

 together, whirl apart, and dart away at high speed, one climbing 

 swiftly above the other in the heights. The uppermost bird would 

 then swoop with incredible velocity at the other, and the two seemed 

 to be in close contact for many feet at the termination of the plunge. 

 That the birds were indulging in a sort of play was plainly evident. 

 The wonderful plunges, the apparent contacts, and ultimate separa- 

 tions were entirely devoid of animosity, the falcons seeming to enjoy 

 the performance as thoroughly as their observers." 



William Brewster (1925), referring to the great speed and momentum 

 of the duck hawk's flight, remarks: "Although this enables him to 

 overtake the fastest-moving birds of other kinds with no less ease 

 than certainty, it often foils his attempts to seize those given to sudden 

 turns or erratic twistings, because he cannot with equal abruptness 

 check or deflect his own headlong career, but must keep straight on 

 for several yards, at least, before doing so, and hence constantly 

 overshoots the mark. His supposed preference for water-fowl, as 

 prey, and reputed prowess in dealing with them, may therefore be 

 due largely to the fact that they are no more capable than he of 

 abruptly devious flight." 



As to the highest speed that this falcon is able to attain, we have 

 very little accurate data. Its utmost speed has been estimated as 

 ranging between 150 and 200 miles an hour; it may attain, or even 

 exceed, such speed in its swift plunges, but no such speed could be 

 maintained for any great distance. D. D. McLean (1930) timed with 



