- 



GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. 37 



her, she would either hop away in anger, or, if prevented from 

 retreating, she would spring upon me, and strike, furiously, 

 with one of her powerful feet, which were capable of inflicting 

 severe wounds. Unless when very hungry, she would not 

 touch cooked food; she preferred fresh-killed meat, especially 

 tender beef and mutton, generally rejecting the fat. She was 

 fond of small birds, but a live duck was her supreme delight: 

 the sight of one would make her almost frantic; at such times, 

 the vigour and activity of her movements, and the animation . 

 of her eye, were truly admirable. Her antipathy to cats was 

 great, and when one of these animals approached her, she mani- 

 fested her displeasure by raising her plumes, opening her 

 mouth, and uttering some sounds, which were doubtless intend- 

 ed as a premonition of danger. If, regardless of all these, the 

 cat got within striking distance, one blow from the Hawk was 

 generally sufficient, to compel the intruder to a hasty retreat. * 



* From Mr. Orel's supplementary volume. 





