i/6 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



pauses motionless in mid-air, and then with a quick 

 vibrating of the wings remains in the one position 

 until satisfied. No ! it was not a mouse that time, 

 and on he goes. At short intervals this poising 

 above the ground is followed by a sudden earthward 

 swoop, but the bird comes up again with empty 

 talons. Again and again this happens, and mouse 

 the first is well digested before mouse the second is 

 captured. The " unerring aim" is all moonshine, but 

 there are plenty of lucky swoops, and never a spar- 

 row-hawk went hungry for long. 



These little falcons build in trees, using some com- 

 modious hollow that perhaps an owl has occupied 

 before them, and here they lay pretty eggs and raise 

 an interesting brood. When nearly ready to fly the 

 young may be tamed thoroughly, and make very 

 amusing but somewhat troublesome pets. One that I 

 had was allowed to alight upon the top of my head, 

 and, bending over, make believe to kiss me. This 

 habit led to perching upon the heads of strangers, and 

 when at last it carried off my uncle's wig and left it 

 dangling in the top of the tall cypress, well out of 

 reach, it was decided that a tame sparrow-hawk 

 might be a nuisance. 



Dr. Coues says of this bird, very truly and descrip- 

 tively, 



" The prettiest and jauntiest of our hawks and yet no prig ; a true 

 falcon, if a little one, with as noble mien and as much pluck as the 

 best among his larger brethren, we can but admire him." 



It seems scarcely necessary to enter into any de- 

 tails concerning the familiar Fish-hawk. Wherever 

 they are found they are recognized as harmless, as 



