THE HAWKS. 



Among the birds that are most useful number of the Hawks are of great value 



to man may be classed the Hawks. They, to man. They are gluttonous whenever 



with the vultures, the eagles and the the food supply is unlimited, and, as their 



owls, belong to the bird order Raptores, powers of digestion are wonderfully de- 



or birds of prey. Unlike the vultures the veloped, it takes but a short time for the 



Hawks feed upon living prey while the food to be absorbed and they are then 



former seek the dead or dying animal. ready for more. With their keen eye- 



The vultures are often called "Nature's sight they readily detect the rodents and 



Scavengers," and in many localities they other small mammals that are so destruc- 



have been so carefully protected that tive to crops and with a remarkable 



they will frequent the streets of towns, swiftness of flight they pounce upon 



seeking food in the gutters. them. Dr. Fisher says, "Of the rapa- 



The family Falconidae, which includes cious birds with which our country is so 



the Hawks, the falcons, the vultures, the well furnished, there are but few which 



kites, and the eagles all diurnal birds deserve to be put on the black list and 



of prey numbers about three hundred pursued without mercy. The greater 



and fifty species, of which between forty number either pass their whole lives in 



and fifty are found in North America. the constant performance of acts of di- 



The remainder are distributed through- rect benefit to man or else more than 



out the world. make good the harm they do in the de- 



The flight of the Hawks is more struction of insectivorous birds and poul- 



than beautiful, it is majestic. Even try by destroying a much greater num- 



when perched high in the air on the top ber of mammals well known to be hos- 



of a dead monarch of the forest, there is tile to the farmer." 



a silent dignity in their pose. It is from Dr. Fisher obtained the following re- 



these perches that some of the species suits from the examination of the stom- 



watch the surrounding country for their achs of two thousand, two hundred and 



prey, swooping down upon it when ob- twelve birds of prey. This number does 



served and seizing it in their long, sharp not Include any of those that feed exten- 



and curved claws. Their food is almost sively upon game and poultry. In three 



invariably captured while on the wing, and one-half per centum, the remains of 



The bill, which is short, hooked and with poultry or game birds were found ; eleven 



sinuate cutting edges, is used for tear- per centum contained remains of other 



ing the flesh of its victim into shreds. birds ; forty- two and one-half per centum 



Among our more common hawks contained the remains of mice ; in four- 

 there are but five or six that may truth- teen per centum other mammals were 

 fully be classed among the birds that are found and twenty-seven per centum con- 

 injurious to the interests of man. Among tained insect remains. This summary 

 these, the Cooper's hawk and the sharp- includes not only the Hawks but also the 

 ishinned hawk deserve the most atten- owls, eagles and related birds: It is evi- 

 tion, as they feed almost entirely upon dent from thes>e results that man has a 

 other birds and poultry. To these two friend in these birds that is of inestima- 

 the name chicken hawk may be aptly ble value to him: 



applied. The domestic pigeon is a dainty The use of falcons and Hawks in the 



morsel for these ravagers of the barn- chase dates far back in the history of the 



yard. On the other hand, by far the larger Old World. For ages it was one of the 



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