434 



Bird -Lore 



In trying to drive me off, Circus used Kingbird methods, flying at me per- 

 sistently, only stopping short of pecking me on the head. Starting a few rods 

 away, he would give his war-cry and swoop down, each time, as it seemed, 

 lower and lower. Emboldened by my immobility, he at last started close over 

 the low silver-leaf tops, level with my head, and flew straight at me till his 

 yellow eyes looked close into mine; a method which I can testify is psycho- 

 logically correct, much more effective than a dive from unseen heights. When 



Circus had tried all his best modes 

 of attack, he lit on bushes on one 

 side and then the other of me, as if 

 to make a study of this strangely 

 obdurate creature. 



When he had been doing picket 

 duty for some time, the voice of his 

 mate was heard in the distance, 

 and presently she came flying in as 

 casually as if having forgotten my 

 existence. My peace offerings of 

 mice were no longer in evidence, 

 however, for the young, still living 

 on prepared foods, were using them 

 as sofa-pillows. So, instead of reas- 

 suring mice, she saw only an un- 

 mitigated Human Being — visions of 

 battle, murder, and sudden death 

 — a Human Being actually sitting 

 close by her precious nestful! As the horror of the situation came over 

 her, she gave a prolonged shriek- — kee-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee-kee and, repeating 

 the best tactics of her mate, from a level with my eyes came screaming 

 straight as an arrow, her brown form growing bigger and bigger, till, as my 

 spine began to creep, she missed me by such a sudden upward curve that 

 her wings made a loud whuff. At this her mate renewed his attacks and 

 outcries, and the pair kept it up till passing Gulls stopped in their flight, and 

 turned to see what could be the occasion. The excited cries of the Hawks 

 were always thin and shrill in quality, but varied somewhat in length and note, 

 as kec-kec-kec-kec-kec, or ckeck-eck, check-eck, check-eck, check-eck. 



When not listening to them or not too preoccupied by being the center of 

 fire, I enjoyed the foreign notes of the Clay-colored Sparrow singing in the 

 silver-leaf patch, and the homelike Bobolink songs from out on the prairie. 

 FinaUy, however, I concluded that nothing more interesting than being dived 

 at was going to happen and, arguing that in devoting themselves to me they 

 might easily neglect their own matters, I started home. When convinced that 

 I was actually going, the Hawks stopped their excited demonstrations and sat 



TRYING TO DRIVE OFF THE INTRUDER 



