FALCONID^ — THE FALCONS. 195 



upon small snakes, particularly the little green snake {Leptoi^his cestivus) 

 and the different species of Eutcvnia. It builds its nest there among the oak 

 or hickory trees which border the streams intersecting the prairies. Towards 

 the latter part of summer it becomes very abundant on the prairies, being- 

 attracted by the abundance of food, whicli at that season consists very 

 largely of insects, especially Neuroptera. It is most abundant in August, 

 and in bright weather dozens of them may be seen at a time sailing round 

 in pursuit of insects. 



]\Ir. Audubon speaks of the movements of this bird in flight as astonishingly 

 rapid, the deep curves they describe, their sudden doublings and crossings, and 

 the extreme ease with which tliey seem to cleave the air, never failing to ex- 

 cite admiration. In the States of Louisiana and Mississippi, where, he adds, 

 tliese birds are very abundant, they arrive in large companies in the begin- 

 ning of April, and utter a sharp and plaintive note. They all come from 

 the westward ; and he has counted upwards of a hundred, in the space of an 

 hour, passing over him in an easterly direction. They feed on the wing, and 

 their principal food is said to be grasshoppers, caterpillars, small snakes, 

 lizards, and frogs. They sweep over the fields, and seem to alight for a 

 moment to secure a snake or some other object. They also frequent the 

 creeks, to pick up water-snakes basking on the floating logs. 



On the ground their movements are said to be awkward in the extreme. 

 When wounded, they rarely strike with their talons, or offer serious resist- 

 ance. They never attack other birds or quadrupeds to prey upon them. 



This Hawk is a great wanderer, and a number of instances are on record 

 of its having been taken in Europe. One of these was in Scotland, in 1772 ; 

 another in England, in 1805. 



Mr. E. Owen (Ibis, 1860, p. 241), while travelling from Coban to San 

 Geronimo, in Guatemala, among the mountains, came suddenly upon a large 

 flock of two or three hundred of these Hawks, whicli were pursuing and 

 preying upon a swarm of bees. At times they passed within four or 

 five yards of him. Every now and then the neck was observed to be bent 

 slowly and gracefully, bringing the head quite under the body. At the same 

 time the foot, with the talons contracted as if grasping some object, would 

 be brought forward to meet the beak. The beak was then seen to open and 

 to close again, and then the head was again raised and the foot thrown back. 

 This movement was repeatedly observed, and it was quite clear to liim that 

 the birds were preying upon the bees. 



This Hawk constructs its nest on tall trees, usually overhanging or near 

 running water. The nest is like that of the Crow in its general appearance. 

 It is constructed externally of dry twigs and sticks, intermixed with which 

 are great quantities of the long Spanish moss peculiar to the Southern 

 States, and lined with dry grasses, leaves, and feathers. One found by Dr. 

 C. Kollock, of Cheraw, S. C, in May, 1855, containing young, was on a large 

 tree, not near the trunk, but on one of the projecting branches, and difficult 

 of approach. 



