AVERY BIRD COLLECTION 55 
ranks seemed to me to require but two or three seconds. 
Indeed, so swift was his flight that the pigeons appeared, 
in comparison, scarcely to move. He missed his bird, 
however, and now it was his mate’s turn. Pigeons and 
falcons vanished from my view behind some trees; but 
they came into sight again in a few seconds, one of the 
falcons about a quarter of a mile off descending to the 
ground a few feet behind a pigeon, which was captured 
without doubt, as escape seemed impossible. What grand 
sport it would be to have well-trained falcons to pursue 
our pinnated grouse! Why does not some sportsman 
take the initiative, who can afford it? Judging from 
the performances of the wild birds in capturing their 
prey, shooting game to pointers or setters is tame sport 
compared with capturing it with falcons.” (1890e). 
The following was published in 1893 in answer to a 
question in the “Ornithologist and Oologist’’: 
“What is authentically known of the rapidity of flight 
by different species of birds, and which is considered the 
swiftest ?’ 
“To Mr. Smith’s question, I believe it may be answered 
that the falcons are the swiftest, and as far as my exper- 
lence goes it seems to me that the duck hawk is swifter 
than any other species. 
“It easily overtakes any bird within the range of its 
vision, and does so with incredible velocity. 
“A Bob White, once fired at by me, was overtaken by a 
duck hawk in the distance of two hundred yards, though 
the hawk apparently had to fly three times as far as its 
quarry before it reached the latter. 
“On another occasion two duck hawks were seen pur- 
suing a flock of tame pigeons. These were far above 
their pursuers, and while in that position were safe. But 
the falcons began to ‘ring,’ or ascend in circles ’till the 
smaller bird, the male, got his ‘pitch’ first, then, with 
astonishing swiftness, he overtook the pigeons, whose 
rapidity of flight is very great. When the falcon began 
his swoop, at about an angle of twenty degrees with the 
flight of the pigeons, these, though going very fast, 
seemed in comparison with the progress of their pursuer 
