158 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



upon the female. In defence of his family, how- 

 ever, it would seem that the cock will often fight 

 courageously. A story is related of a hawk 

 which attacked a hen and her chickens, when 

 the cock rushed to the rescue and drove his spur 

 right through the eye and into the skull of the 

 would-be spoiler. The hawk was killed instantly, 

 and when disentangled from the cock, which it 

 had gripped with great tenacity, the victorious 

 champion was found quite uninjured. 



With the owls it does not appear that the 

 males actually take any part in the incubation, 

 but it is certain that they remain in the neigh- 

 bourhood and jealously attack all who approach 

 within what are considered desirable limits. 



The value of these birds, by the way, at that 

 time of the year, during which they have young 

 to feed, is hard to estimate, for they devour — as 

 at all times of the year — rats and mice and voles 

 for the most part, and the number which is 

 brought daily to the nest by both parents — for 

 the male assists in the feeding — is prodigious. 

 Yet, these birds are slain right and left by game- 

 keepers and others who should know better, 

 and their poor mutilated bodies gibbeted on 

 barn-doors as those of malefactors ! 



The bar-tailed pigeon (Columba fasciata) of 

 North and Central America appears to have the 

 parental feeling largely developed. It has been 

 several times seen when frightened to carry its 

 egg from the nest and bear it away to another 

 tree. Selecting a large branch thereof on which 

 to deposit its precious burden, it proceeds with 

 the incubation forthwith. 



