218 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



i)ften obscure or wanting; back, cinnamon-brown, in the male, with a few black 

 spots or none; in the _/(-;/(a/e, with nunierons black bars; wing coverts, in the 

 male, ashy-bliie, with or without black spots ; in the female, like the back ; 

 quills, in l)oth sexes, blackish, with numerous pale or white bars on inner webs ; 

 tail, chestnut, in the viale, with one broatl black subtei-minal bar, white tip, and 

 outer feather mostly white, with several black bars; in t\\& female, the whole 

 tail witli numei'ous imperfect black bars; below, white, variously tinged with 

 l)Viif or tawny, in the male, with a few small black spots or none ; in the female, 

 with many Ijrown streaks ; throat and vent, nearly white and immaculate in 

 both sexes; bill, dark horn; cere and feet, yellow to Ijright orange; 10-11; 

 wing, 7 ; tail, o, more or less. 



Hab. — Whole of North America, south to northern South America. 



Eggs, four or five, deposited in the hollow of a decayed liml), oi- deserted 

 woodpecker's hole. In color, variable, usually yellowish-brown, l)l(>tched all 

 over with brown of a darker shade. 



The peculiar and handsome markings of this little falcon serve, 

 even at a distance, to prevent its being mistaken for an}- other 

 species. Though sometimes seen near the farm-house, it does not bear 

 the stigma of having felonious intentions towards the occupants of the 

 poultry yards, but is credited Avith the destruction of large numbers 

 of mice, and is, therefore, regarded with favor by the farmer. It 

 also feeds freeh^ on snakes, lizards, grasshoppers, etc., but has the 

 true falcon etiquette of taking only what is newly killed. Tt is 

 generally distributed throughout Ontario, arriving on the southern 

 frontier about the end of April, and leaving for the south in Sep- 

 tember. 



In the " Birds of Minnesota," page 203, is given an account of an 

 experiment made by M. de Lantrie, to test the value of this species 

 to the farmer. He says : " I took five little Sparrow Hawks and 

 put them in a cage. The parents immediately l)rought them food, 

 and I was not surprised to see that it consisted of twelve mice, four 

 large lizards, and six mole crickets. A meal of like size was Ijrought 

 ever}^ day for a month. At one time there wei-e fifteen field mice, 

 two little birds, and a young rabliit. Last year I made the same 

 experiment, with similar results ; one meal consisting of twelve small 

 birds, one lark, three moles and one hedgehog. In one month, the 

 five baby-hawks rid the world, by actual count, of 420 rats and mice, 

 200 mole crickets, and 158 lizards." In view <jf the foregoing record, 

 this species is well entitled to the place which Dr. Fisher has given 

 it in Class b, as one of those whose good deeds are in excess of the 

 evil, and it is, therefoi-e, entitled to the protection of all interested. 



