82 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



and tibiae; 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 until 

 the latter part of autumn ; and, in the southern portions of 

 these States, even throughout the winter. The habits of the 

 oird 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 



