WHITE 



HEN HARRIER. A neighboring gentleman sprung a pheas- 

 ant in a wheat stubble, and shot at it ; when, notwithstanding 

 the report of the gun, it was immediately pursued by the blue 

 hawk, known by the name of the hen harrier, but escaped into 

 some covert. He then sprung a second, and a third, in the 

 same field, that got away in the same manner ; the hawk hov- 

 ering round him all the while that he was beating the field, 

 conscious no doubt of the game that lurked in the stubble. 

 Hence we may conclude that this bird of prey was rendered 

 very daring and bold by hunger, and that hawks cannot always 

 seize their game when they please. We way farther observe, 

 that they cannot pounce their quarry on the ground where 

 might be able to make a stout resistance, sinrr so large a fowl 

 as a pheasant could not but -be visible to the parang eye of a 

 hawk, when hovering over the field. Hmm ih&i propensity 

 of cowering and squatting tilt they are almost irod on, which 

 no doubt was intended * a mode #f security ; though long 

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Of the great boldness *;xi rapacity of birds of prey whe 

 urged on by hunger, I have seen several instances ; partic 

 larly when shooting in the winter in company with two friend 

 a woodcock flew across us, closely pursued by a small hawk 

 we all three fired at the woodcock instead of the hawk, whic 

 notwithstanding the report, of three guns close by it, continue 

 its pursuit of the woodcock, struck it down, and carried it o 

 as we afterwards discovered 



At another time, when i ^trifle-shooting with a friend, w 

 saw a ring-tail hawk rise out of a pit with some large bird i 

 its claws ; though at a great distance we both fired and ob 1 

 it to drop its prey, which proved to be one of the partr 

 which we were in pursuit of; and lastly,' in an evening, 1 

 at and plainly saw that I had wounded a partridge, but it I 

 late, was obliged to go home without finding it again. 

 next morning I walked round my land without any gun, 

 favorite old spaniel followed my heels. When I came 

 the field where I wounded the bird the evening before, I 

 the partridges call, and seeming to be much distur v 



