15fi 



insccis; one. hirj^c iiiiihIkm' of i>i';issliO])pei's wilh ;i sniiill 

 <lii;iri(i(_v (»(■ lijiii'. cvidciidy lliiil of ;i yoniij; riibl)if. 



WHAT VARIOUS WRITERS SAY. 



Coiicciniii^- I lie food of this hli-d different writers 

 spenk as follows: 



"When proy is discovered the hawk poises for a moment 

 over the spot and then drops quickly on it, and if successful 

 is sure to beat over tlie same place before leaving. Tt gen- 

 erally devour.s its quarry on or near the spot where captured, 

 instead of carrying- it away. Its food consists largely of small 

 rodents, such as meadow mice, half-grown squirrels, rabbits 

 and spermophiles or ground squirrels. In fact, so extensively 

 does it feed on the last named animals that the writer rarely 

 has examined a stomach from the West which did not contain 

 their remains. 



FEEDS ON REPTILES AND INSECTS. 



In addition to the above it preys upon lizards, frogs, snakes, 

 insects and birds; of the latter, the smaller ground-dwelling 

 species usually are taken. When hard pressed it is said to 

 feed on offal and carrion, and in the spring and fall, when 

 water fowl ai'e abundant, it occasionally preys upon dead 

 and wounded birds-left by gunners. It seldom chases birds on 

 the wing, though the writer has seen it do so in a few in- 

 stances." — Fisher Bulletin No. .3. 



Audubon says: 



"The food of the Marsh Hawk consists of insects of various 

 kinds, especially crickets; of lizards, frogs, snakes, birds, 

 principally the smaller sorts, although it will attack par- 

 tridges, plovers, and even green-winged teals, when urged by 

 excessive hunger." 



Mr. H. W. Hensliaw, whose extensive field experi- 

 ence in the West gave him abundant opportunity of 

 thoroughly acquainting himself with the habits of this 

 species, says: 



"They were seen at all hours of the day * * * * 

 in search of mice and gophers, which, when obtainable, con- 

 stitute the major part of their food. When urged by hunger, 

 it may attack birds, and I remember to have once been robbed 

 of a widgeon I had killed and kept lying in the water, by one 

 of these birds; but generally they confine their attacks to 

 the humblest kind of game. which possess neither the 

 strength to enable them to resist nur the activity l« evade 

 the sudden descent of their winged onemv." — Ornith Wheeler 

 Survev, 100 Meriii., 187;"). 



