FLEETWING THE SPARROW HAWK 141 



Instantly he stopped and by fluttering his wings up and 

 down would hang almost still, moving neither downward 

 nor upward. All the while he was watching for the least 

 movement on the earth helow. If a mouse made the least 

 movement, quick as a flash the wings were turned backward 

 and the bird would fall like a bolt from the clear sky. Just 

 before striking the ground the tail was slightly tilted and 

 the wings spread just a little and the bird would strike 

 the mouse and glide up again without touching the earth. 

 This requires great skill. Sometimes hawks fall from 

 great heights and gain great momentum, but practise has 

 given them such skill in judging distances that they are 

 able so to adjust wings and tail that they can pick up an 

 animal, no matter how small, without striking the earth. 

 The next spring Fleetwing and his wife were on hand 

 with the first young chickens. I did not discover where they 

 nested that summer, but they were even more skilful in 

 catching little chicks than before. I am sure that this 

 pair of birds caught not less than one hundred little chick- 

 ens the second summer without my being able to prevent 

 it. The third summer they started preying on my chickens 

 again; but they were getting over-confident, feeling sure 

 they were able to outwit me. One day I hid behind the 

 chicken house when both birds came for their breakfast. 

 As was customary they alighted on the old hickory tree to 

 locate the particular chicks they desired. I shot the 

 mother bird before she could get out of range, but did 

 not kill her. For two hours I followed the two from 

 place to place, never getting closer than a long range 

 shot. Three times I shot this bird, but Fleetwing never 

 deserted her. Wherever she went he went also, always 

 keeping nearest me in a vain effort to draw me after him. 



