-^THE * OOLOGIST.^ 



VOL. VIII. 



ALBION, N. Y.. DEC , 1891. 



No. 12 



The Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



Little has been said througli the t-ol- 

 iimns of the Oologist about this little 

 compound of pluck aud ferocity; is it 

 because of its scarcity ? or is it because 

 it is not deemed worth the space. Now 

 this bird i^ to me one of the most inter- 

 esting of the Falconidce; itself satisfied 

 dash alone being enough to bring it in- 

 to prominence. Although it is a bird 

 that is fond of the seclusion of deep 

 woods; it is perfectly at home in the 

 town; several times I have seen one of 

 them skimming laboi'iously over the 

 ground, witli a thrush nearly its own 

 size in its talons, and this too in the city 

 streets. 



As I look over my collection, I see 

 two small but beautiful eggs, the bold 

 chocolate marking agreeing wc^ll with 

 the character of the author of this being 

 Well do I rememljer that day when 

 crossing a dense swamp, the quick, de- 

 cided flight of the Sliarp-shinned Hawk 

 caught my eye, and through the bush 

 and over fallen logs I followed that 

 bird. 



As as the hawk was aware of being 

 followed, it became excited and drop- 

 ped the bird it was carr^-ing, and perch- 

 ed upon a high limb of a dead tree and 

 scowled at us fiercely. 



Soon after we found the nest not far 

 uj) in a large i)ine tree, and I commen- 

 ced the ascent with the execrations of 

 the hawk and his mate who had flown 

 from the Jnest, delivered rapidly in a 

 high and shrill key. Now and then he 

 would vary the i)roceedings by making 

 a bold swoop at the intruder, every 

 time feigning to miss the maik by a 

 few feet, and fliying into a neighl)oring 

 tree to watch the efTect, and tlieii wluai 

 I reached the top of the perilous climb, 

 and put my hand into the nest I found 



" * * * simply nothing, 

 Not a single thing in it, 

 Not even an egg-shell, — 

 No, nothing at all." 



A few days after, I returned to the 

 nest with two spotted hens eggs with 

 wlwch to replace any hawk's eggs I 

 might tind. The two eggs I did find 

 were altogether unlike, in size or mark- 

 ings, the eggs I i)roiight. The birds 

 were meanwiiile more excited than be- 

 fore and often passeil so near me that 

 I could feel the rush of theii wings. 



^\'hat an ecstacy of delight is that of 

 the y(nmg collector securing his first 

 set, how well do I remember the excite- 

 ment of that moment, the hurried ques- 

 tions, the i>nail-like pace to the nest all 

 heightened l)y the (juick sharp chii-ps of 

 the birds, and still, whenever I look 

 over my collection and see the two In-own 

 aud drab beauties my mind reverts 

 to that scene in the bus!): the tall stately 

 pine, the beautiful and pure white trel- 

 liums; and the beautiful birds dashing 

 and screaming around my head. 



Although the label in tlie tray prosa- 

 ically says: 



Fam. Falconid:!?, 

 Genus, Accipiter. 

 333^. w/ox(Wils.) 

 Sharp-shinned Hawk, . 

 My memory thinks only of the beauti- 

 ful and poetical. Truly it can be said 

 of the oologist what liryant says to 

 the evening wind: — 



"Pleasant shall be thy way where meek- 

 ly bows 



TJie shutting flower, :iml darkling 



waters pass. 

 And where thco'er-shadowing biaiu'hes 



sweep the gra.'^s." 



W. H. McNaikn, 

 Toronto. Ont, 



