and Sparrow Hawk ; there are two or three others, but they are only occasional 

 visitors. Of these eleven, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Goshawk, 

 Duck Hawk and Pigeon Hawk are the species which occasionally make raids upon 

 the poultry yards, and which at all times seem to prefer feathered game to either 

 fur or insects ; these should, therefore, be shot whenever the opportunity is given. 

 The Sharp-shinned Hawk and Cooper's Hawk are the two species which most 

 frequently attack the poultry. They are both small hawks, but make up for 

 their lack of size by their boldness and dexterity. It is but seldom that they 

 uttuck a full-orowii fowl, but if they once find an accessible lot of chickens they 

 will continue to \isit tlie flock until they have taken them all, or are killed in the 

 attempt to do so. The mischief done by these two s|ircies has been the principal 

 cause of the prejudice existmg in the farmer's iiiiiiil a-.niist all the hawk tribe, 

 and is usually given as the e.xcuse for the slaui^littT oi ,ill the valuable species 

 whose constant work inures to man's benefit. The food of the Duck Hawk and 

 the Pigeon Hawk consists chiefly of wild birds, but they rarely visit the farms, 

 their usual resort being the marshes aad shores of lakes frequented by water 

 fowl. The Pigeon Hawk is not so named because it has any preference for pig- 

 eons, either wild or domestic, liut because it slightly resembles a pigeon in shape 

 both when on the wing and when at rest. 



The Goshawk fortunately does not visit the cultivated portion of Ontario in 

 any numbers regularly ; it is a winter visitor only, and rather an expensive one to 

 entertain when it does come. The winter of 1896-97 was one of the seasons 

 in which it was particularly abundant throughout southern Ontario, and poultry 

 owners suflPered greatly from its destructive powers in consequence. This hawk 

 is a large, powerful bird, quite capable of killing and carrying ofi'afull grown 

 hen. The adult is dark, slaty blue above, blackish on the head, the breast and 

 belly barred pale slate and white with sharp black streaks ; the voung, dark 

 brown above, white beneath with oblong brown spots ; length, about two feet. 

 Owing to its boldness and strength it is capable of doing a good deal of damage, 

 and should consequently be killed whenever seen. As previously stated, this 

 hawk onl}' occurs in winter, and therefore it is not likely to be mistaken for any 

 of the hawks whose food habits are of benefit to mankind. As a general rule, if 

 a hawk is seen about the farm-yard during the winter it is safe to assume that it 

 is there for no good purpose, and the gun should be brought into requisition at 

 once, as all our beneficial hawks migrate .southwai-d when cold weather sets in. 



From the above species, all of which are undoubtedly injurious to the inter- 

 ests of the agriculturist by reason of the destruction they work in the poultry 

 yard, and amongst our insectivorous wild bii'ds, we turn to the remaining six 

 species of the hawks frequenting this Province, every one of which spends the 

 greater part of its time and devotes its energies to work the destruction of the 

 animals and insects which aie known to be amongst the greatest pests the farmer 

 has to contend with; these are the Marsh Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered 

 Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk and Sparrow Hawk. 



Nearly everyone knows the Mar.sh Hawk and has seen it gracefully skim- 

 ming over the low meadows, occasionally hanging poised over one spot for a 

 second or two, and then dropping down into the long grass ; this drop generally 

 means the death of a meadow mouse, sometimes, but more rarely, a Irog: of these 

 two creatures its food princii^allj' consists, and the number of meadow mice 

 destroyed by each of these birds in a season must be something enormous. As 

 many as eight have been found in the stomach of one of these hawks, and four 

 or five quite frequently. The hawk's digestion is very rapid, and their hunting 

 and feeding is continued with but few intermissions from daylight untd dark. 



