POAETQUISSINGS IN WINTER. 29 



fishes were thus eaten, when I suddenly appeared upon 

 the scene. With a hurried grasp the startled hawk, 

 with a fish in its talons, flew off, uttering a tri-syllabic 

 scream that evidently meant, " You be — hanged !" 



How different from all this is the method and man- 

 ner of the three little hawks that I have referred to as 

 impetuous — the sharp -shinned, Cooper's, and the spar- 

 rowhawk. The first of these is feathered lightning. 

 He ceases to be before you realize that he is, and Coop- 

 er's hawk is almost his equal. The smallest of all, the 

 sparrowhawk, jpar excellence^ is quick enough in all con- 

 science, but you can follow his movements, neverthe- 

 less. These three hawks are not common at Poaet- 

 quissings. They come and go. At least, certain blue 

 streaks that flash in mid -air are supposed to be sharp- 

 shinned hawks. The little sparrowhawk knows that 

 tree sparrows, by hundreds, roost in the shelter afforded 

 by Poaetquissings' clustered cedars, and, suddenly ap- 

 pearing at the day's close, picks up an unlucky sparrow, 

 as it is settling down for the night — picks it up, and is 

 gone. One need but pass a single afternoon on the 

 creek bank to witness this and be sure of the little 

 hawk's identity, but the blue streaks are a matter of 

 doubt. That they 'are hawks is eminently probable, but 

 none dare make a positive assertion to that effect. 



The creek cuts through a long, artificial bank in its 

 riverward course, and the bisected ridge is now partially 

 covered with a vigorous growth of cedars. The junc- 

 tion of the creek and cedar-grown knoll is a pleasant 

 spot at all times, but is peculiarly so during those bright, 

 sunny December days of which we occasionally can 



