48 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA 
66. ACCIPITER COOPERI (Bonaparte). 
COOPER’S HAWK. 
“Chicken Hawk.” “Big Blue Darter.” 
The first specimen of this hawk recorded was an adult 
male taken at Greensboro, Nov. 18, 1877. Ten years 
later (Aug. 30, 1887) the Doctor launches a tirade, not 
undeserved, against this species. He writes: “No. 31 
was shot while flying across the yard. A cooperi is more 
destructive of game and fowls than any hawk. There 
is no telling how many pigeons this hawk has taken from 
me this summer. On the 28th I fired twice at one and in 
less than 15 minutes it returned and caught a pigeon. 
Nothing can exceed the daring of Cooper’s hawk. While 
not as swift a flyer as the falcon, it is nevertheless very 
destructive of fowls and game. I believe it destroys more 
game and fowls than all the other species of hawks to- 
gether. 
“One for instance has broken up the pigeons in the lit- 
tle box against the gable end of the kitchen: it has caught 
the old birds (cock and hen) and has caught the young 
ones also. May my right hand forget her cunning if I 
kill them not!” 
Sept. 13th, following, another specimen was taken, the 
stomach of which contained “parts of a sand lizard.” 
Under this entry is written: “this hawk was killed flag- 
rante delicto. She pursued a pigeon in the yard, knocked 
it to the ground, and would have captured it but for my 
presence. She pitched on the limb of a pine just outside 
of the front gate, when she came to grief by a charge 
from my gun. Specimen was mounted. 
The Doctor evidently delighted in taking a large series 
of this species. Here is another note, entered Sept. 27, 
1887, after the record of No. 35: “This hawk was a 
large female; raked at pigeons; lit in a pine near the 
house; flew off into the grove; just as I came out of the 
house with my gun she circled high over the yard. I 
cocked and presented, but having in my left hand a cha- 
mois skin and a bunch of keys, I found on looking down 
the barrel to aim at the hawk that the skin obstructed 
the line of aim; I had to throw it down, recover my aim 
