THE WESTERN GOSHAWK. 



503 



the ornitliologist was not aware that a certain stretch t:if wnods whicli the trail 

 cleft belonged to a highly virtuous ]iair of Goshawks, until Whimf ! Biff! the 

 blue terror struck a blow from Isehind and sent the bird-man sprawling. He 

 had. moreover, quick need to defend himself with sticks and st<ines. iov the 

 bird was back again in a trice, .. -^ _, 



and a tough sombrero alone 

 saved him from severe seal]) 

 wounds. Of course there 

 was a nest hard by, and we 

 found it, some si.xty 

 feet up, in a dense 

 stand of fir trees. 



I accepted the pho- 

 tographic cliallenge 

 which the disco\erv 

 afforded, but first im- 

 provised a coat 

 of mail, wherein 

 a stuffed knap- 

 sack did duty for 

 a helmet, an^I 

 a wrapping- 

 dunnage b a g - 

 was designed if 

 protect the 

 shoulders. Likr 

 Don Quixote, 

 set out to meet 

 my foe, but the 

 gentil bird had 

 respect for 

 knighthood even 



of this decadent type, and forbore to oft'er further indignities. .As she left 

 the lists she indulged a stentorian cackle, ak. ak. ak. ok. a note which reminded 

 one again of the Cooper Hawk, save that it had a deal more of menace in it. 



Fortunately for our game and jxiultry. the "Blue Hawk" is compara- 

 tivel}' rare in Washington. It appears to be confined during the nesting 

 season to the timbered regions of tlie Cascades and Blue Mountains. Here 

 it haunts the darkest woods as well as the open heights, and makes Grouse 

 and Ptarmigan the special object of its attack. At other seasons it invades 

 the lower valle}-s and coastal regions, but is no longer a well-known bird. 



The Western Goshawk is excelled b}' none in display of cunning or 



Token near St^okanc 



Photo by U\ H. Wright. 



.AX IXTEKRUPTED .ME.-\L. 



THE YOUNG GOSHAWK HAS CAPTURED A ROUIN. 



