The Tragical in Nature 77 



and down, around and about they went, each doing 

 its best, the bird for its life, the hawk for its din- 

 ner. The bird was taking advantage of the limbs 

 and foliage of a large balsam. He could go through 

 holes in the sheety foliage that baffled the hawk and 

 blinded his aim. But that bird was foolish for once. 

 It left the balsam and flew across toward another 

 tree a hundred feet away. The last we could see 

 of the chase the hawk was right on the heels of the 

 bird as they crossed the open space. It was the 

 opinion that the hawk had won his murderous race, 

 but the bird evidently made a correct calculation. 

 The hawk rose in the air and flew over our heads, 

 but he had no bird in his talons. He alighted on 

 the topmost limb of a tall pine which stood out 

 alone, choosing a place which would give him an 

 unobstructed view. It is curious to notice the 

 nonchalance of birds, and even of minnows, in the 

 near presence of deadly enemies. They appear to 

 have confidence in their skill in dodging. 



The prettiest example of a chase between a 

 rapacious and a gallinaceous bird, not infrequent 

 in my boyhood, was that between a hawk and a 

 domesticated pigeon. It was not unusual to see 

 a hawk coming on a swift and level flight from his 

 eyrie on some tall forest tree, straight for the covey 

 which were sunning themselves and cooing on the 

 roof of the barn. The pigeons immediately took 

 wing and scattered, but rose in the air. The hawk 

 would select the one that was lowest, and presum- 



