ow 
32 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
and tibise; under tail coverts white; bill dark bluish horn-color; cere and tarsi 
yellow; iris reddish-yellow. 
Total length of female, twelve to fourteen inches; wing, seven and a half to 
eight; tail, six and a half to seven inches. Male, ten to eleven inches; wing, six 
to six and a half; tail, five to five and a half inches. 
This well-known little species is a general and common 
summer inhabitant of all the New-England States: it 
makes its appearance with the arrival of the earliest flight 
of the smaller migratory birds in spring, and remains antil 
the latter part of autumn; and, in the southern portions of 
these States, even throughout the winter. The habits of the 
bird are so well described by Audubon, that I cannot do 
better than include the description here. He says: — 
“While in search of prey, the Sharp-shinned Hawk passes 
over the country, now at a moderate height, now close over the 
land, in so swift a manner, that, although your eye has marked it, 
you feel surprised that the very next moment it has dashed off, and 
is far away. In fact, it is usually seen when least expected, 
and almost always but for a few moments, unless when it has 
procured some prey, and is engaged in feeding upon it. The kind 
of vacillation or wavering with which it moves through the air 
appears perfectly adapted to its wants ; for it undoubtedly enables 
this little warrior to watch and to see at a single quick glance of its 
keen eyes every object, whether to the right or to the left, as it pur- 
sues its course. It advances by sudden dashes, as if impetuosity 
of movement were essential to its nature, and pounces upon and 
strikes such objects as best suit its appetite, but so very suddenly 
that it appears quite hopeless for any of them to try to escape. 
Many have been the times, reader, when watching this vigilant, 
active, and industrious bird, I have seen it plunge headlong among 
the briery patches of one of our old fields, in defiance of all thorny 
obstacles ; and, passing through, emerge on the other side, bearing 
off with exultation in its sharp claws a sparrow or finch, which it 
had surprised when at rest. At other times, I have seen two or 
three of these hawks, acting in concert, fly at a Golden-winged 
Woodpecker while alighted against the bark of a tree, where it 
thought itself secure, but was suddenly clutched by one of the 
hawks throwing, as it were, its long legs with the quickness of 
