76 FALCONID^. 



there are young birds, for the parent when out foraging invariably 

 returns to her young uttering long mournful notes, so that one has only 

 to listen and mark the spot where it alights. After visiting a nest 

 I have always found the young birds soon disappear, and as the old 

 birds vanish also I believe that the Chi mango removes its young when 

 the nest has been discovered a rare habit with birds. 



Chimangos abound most in settled districts, but a prospect of food 

 will quickly bring numbers together even in the most solitary places. 

 On the desert pampas, where hunters, Indian and European, have a great 

 fancy for burning the dead grass, the moment the smoke of a distant 

 fire is seen there the Chimangos fly to follow the conflagration. They 

 are, at such times, strangely animated, dashing through clouds of smoke, 

 feasting amongst the hot ashes on roasted cavies and other small mam- 

 mals, and boldly pursuing the scorched fugitives from the flames. 



At all times and in all places the Chimango is ever ready to pounce on 

 the weak, the sickly, and the wounded. In other regions of the globe 

 these doomed ones fall into the clutches of the true bird of prey ; but 

 the salutary office of executioner is so effectually performed by the 

 Chimango and his congeners where these false Hawks abound, that the 

 true Hawks have a much keener struggle to exist here. This circum- 

 stance has possibly served to make them swifter of wing, keener of 

 sight, and bolder in attack than elsewhere. I have seen a Buzzard, 

 which is not considered the bravest of the Hawks, turn quick as light- 

 ning on a Cayenne Lapwing, which was pursuing it, and grappling it 

 bear it down to the ground and despatch it in a moment, though a 

 hundred other Lapwings were uttering piercing screams above it. Yet 

 this Plover is a large, powerful, fierce -tempered bird, and armed with 

 sharp spurs on its wings. This is but one of numberless instances I 

 have witnessed of the extreme strength and daring of our Hawks. 



When shooting birds to preserve I used to keep an anxious eye on 

 the movements of the Chimangos flying about, for I have had some 

 fine specimens carried olf or mutilated by these omnipresent robbers. 

 One winter day I came across a fine Myiotheretes rvfiventris, a pretty and 

 graceful Tyrant-bird, rather larger than the Common Thrush, with a 

 chocolate and silver-grey plumage. It was rare in that place, and, 

 anxious to secure it, I fired a very long shot, for it was extremely shy. 

 It rose up high in the air and flew off apparently unconcerned. What, 

 then, w r as my surprise to see a Chimango start off in pursuit of it ! 

 Springing on to my horse, I followed, and before going half a mile 

 noticed the Tyrant-bird beginning to show signs of distress. After 

 avoiding several blows aimed by the Chimango, it flew down and 

 plunged into a cardoon bush. There I captured it, and when skinning 



