THE PIGEON HAWK. 535 



IF a scrutiny of all little liauks is maintained thrunut the \eai", and with 

 special diligence in winter and early spring, the search will he rewarded now 

 and then by the sight of a liird w hose mox'ement is a little nii ire rapid and 

 dashing than that of the uhiifuitous Sparrow Hawk. The wings seem to 

 reach forward with a stroke like that of a strong swimmer: and, alto- 

 gether, there is an air of indefinable qualit\' and power about the diminutive 

 Pigeon Hawk, which does not pertain tii his less spirited cousin. Not 

 content with the humble quarry which usually satisfies the commoner species, 

 this little winged terror makes ha\'oc auKjng the Blackbirds, JMeadowlarks, 

 and smaller songsters. Himself not larger than a full-sized pigeon, the 

 Hawk sometimes pursues a Mourning Do\-e with relentless furw and easih- 

 overtakes this fleet bird, unless it finds ciner or the protection of man. 

 The audacious creature has e\en been creilited with killing Ptarmigan, and 

 it sometimes attacks sea-f(i\\l of thrice its weight, thru sheer exuberance 

 of spirits. 



Now and then, also, one comes u])on the Pigei>n Hawk seated at rather 

 close quarters: for it is less suspicious than most, and it hails from 

 northern wilds or mountain fastnesses which do not know the fear of 

 man. At such a time one is struck by the quaint, ahuost antif|ue, apjiearance 

 of the ta\\n\- breast with its heavy umber streaks: and the glaucous bloom 

 of the up])er])arts might ha\e come from niv lad\'s cheek \vhen she went 

 hawking, centuries ago. In the hand, the round white spots, which sprinkle 

 the feathers lining the bird's wings, make it seem still more like a product 

 of curious median-al art. 



"Altho the well known Pigeon Hawk is ])rett_\- gener;dl\- distributed 

 over the entire United States during the fall and winter seasons, bv far 

 the greater number breed north of our border, anrl coni])arati\'elv few 

 reiuain as summer residents, at least east of the Mississi|)]ii Ki\er, and 

 those that do. generally confine themseh'es to the mountain districts and 

 to the thinh' settled and heavih- wiioded regions along our Northern 

 States. In the Rocky iMiiuntains, as well as in the Sierra Ne\'ada and 

 Cascade Ranges, and their spurs, the Pigeon Plawk is probably quite a 

 common summer resident, but as \"et its nest and eggs have been rarelv 

 taken, and even wdiere they ha\-e been found, there remains more or less 

 doubt as to their pro]ier identification, as the two closel}' allied forms, 

 Faico coliiinbarius sncklc\i and Falco richardsoiiii occur in some ()f these 

 mountains as well, and are \'er\' liable to be mistaken for the true Pigeon 

 Hawk, e\-en l)y fairl_\- well posted ornithologists, and almost certainly by 

 the average cr)lIector." ( Beuflire. ) 



