A Few Feathered Fiends. 229 



bluebird ; but the sparrow-hawk has knowledge of 

 every available hollow in the scattered mid-field 

 trees, and in one of these it lives all summer. Big 

 brown grasshoppers — the ** tobacco-spitters" of boy- 

 hood days — are usually large enough game for it 

 during the warm weather, and it finds them as easily 

 as turkeys do the big black crickets ; but it will sail 

 leisurely over ploughed ground, such as a cornfield 

 in May, and carry off food of many kinds, even to 

 the little brown snake that it finds basking in the 

 hot sun. I have seen it give chase to a chipmunk, 

 and then there was a pretty exhibition of speed 

 along the top rail of the old worm-fence ; but, until 

 after two or three killing frosts, this little hawk de- 

 pends largely upon insects, and afterwards, if the 

 supply is sufficient, on mice. Although evidence 

 of bird-murder is not usually found about its roomy 

 nest in a hollow tree, still, the name sparrow-hawk 

 is not misleading. Would that it were a matter of 

 English sparrows exclusively. Then might we re- 

 joice ! 



Owls among birds, like bats among mammals, 

 have always attracted much attention, but, because 

 of their nocturnal and crepuscular habits, are far 

 from rightly understood. The owl, like the bat, 

 figures extensively in general literature, and as a 

 result, the popular mind has become familiarized 

 with a creature very unlike the real bird, which is 

 neither as nocturnal as is stated, as wise as is be- 

 lieved, nor as black as it is painted. Like all birds 

 of prey, there is a repulsive side to its character, 



