70 



THE OOLOGIST. 



the boy's kite. There is a principle in 

 the flight of birds and insects which we 

 do not as yet understand, and all com- 

 parisons with the "mechanics of flight," 

 as understood by man, are idle. 



The kites are fine examples of fancy 

 flying, and their movements are ever 

 entertaining to the observer. A Swal- 

 low-tailed Kite is the nearest to per- 

 fection in an exhibition of fancy curves 

 and dashes of all the birds of my ex- 

 tensive acquaintance. In many re- 

 spects it resembles the movements of 

 the Terns, but it ha3 a grace that is un- 

 equalled by any of the water birds. 

 The Marsh Harrier fills a position which 

 is unique; sailing low over the meadows 

 and marshes, and pouncing upon un- 

 lucky field mice and other small 

 mammals that cross its path The 

 Cooper's Sharp-shinned and Goshawks 

 are strong, bold fliers, and possess a 

 dash only exceeded by the Falcons. 

 The Buzzard Hawks are sluggish in 

 flight, and rarely capture live birds. 

 They lack the dash of the others and 

 are content to sit on a perch and watch 

 for snakes, toads, and in fact most any- 

 thing in the line of animal food, includ- 

 ing insects. The falcons, though ex- 

 cellent fliers are not necessarily flesh 

 feeders at all times, and the Sparrow 

 Hawk prefers a diet of grasshoppers in 

 summer, if we are to judge by the crops 

 examined. It is an interesting sight to 

 witness the courting movements of a 

 Sparrow Hawk; when every form of fly- 

 ing is exhibited, from simple hovering 

 to the most intricate evolutions that 

 any bird is capable of. 



The Eagle's flight is ponderous, but 

 one is surprised at the rapidity with 

 which these great birds dash through 

 the air. To see an eagle flying at a 

 distance, one would not think that it 

 moved at a rate equal to the fastest 

 train, yet when a dash is made at close 

 quarters it is easy to believe that the 

 heavy creatures move at a faster rate 

 than one hundred miles an hour, and 



some theorizers claim over one hundred 

 and twenty an hour. An interesting 

 sight, and one often seen on the coast 

 of Maine to Texas, is the robbery of the 

 Fishawk by the Bald Eagle. This un- 

 fortunately selected emblem of our 

 land, which regale* itself on dead fish 

 which it finds on the shore, also has the 

 censurable habit of robbing the Osprey 

 of its honestly acquired prey. Watch- 

 ing from afar, the Eagle hastens toward 

 the successful fisher as soon as it is 

 seen t > arise from the water with its 

 catch. The fortunate, or as we may 

 say, unfortunate bird, perceiving its 

 pursuer, mounts into the air and en- 

 deavors to escape. Up, up they go, and 

 often appear like mere specks in the 

 sky before the pursuit is finished. It 

 always seems strange to me that the 

 Fish hawk docs not attempt escape by 

 a straight away flight, as in that case 

 the weight of the fish would not retard 

 the fugitive as much as in an upward 

 sweep. However, in all instances that 

 I have witnessed, the invariable efforts 

 :it escape by the burdened Fish hawk is 

 in upward flight; and too, the end is 

 about always the same. The Eagle be- 

 low moves in majestic circles, rapidly 

 gaining on the struggling, handicapped 

 Hawk which vainly tries to save its 

 prey by alternately furiously flapping 

 its wings and soaring. At last, when 

 the Eagle is on a level with the bur- 

 dened bird, the circles are curtailed and 

 just as the pursuer is about to close in 

 on the fatigued hawk the fish is dropped 

 in s^eer desperation. The Eagle then 

 ceases its persecution for the time and 

 flies away. I have read that the Eagle 

 would drop like an arrow and catch 

 the released flsh |before it struck the 

 water, but I have never seen anything 

 of this kind. 



To be continued. 



