BIRDS OF 



The quarry of Swainson's Buzzard is of a very humble 

 nature. I never saw one swoop upon wild fowl or grouse, and 

 though they often strike rabbits like the Red-tails, their prey is 

 usually nothing larger than Gophers. Though, really strong 

 and sufficiently fierce birds, they lack the 'snap' of the Falcons 

 and Asturs, and I scarcely think they are smart enough 

 to catch little birds very often. I saw one make the attempt on 

 a Lark Bunting. The Hawk poised in the air at a height of 

 about 20 yards for fully a minute, fell heavily with an awkward 

 thrust of the talons and missed. The little bird slipped off, 

 badly scared no doubt, but unhurt, while the enemy flapped 

 away sulkily, very likely to prowl around a Gopher hole for his 

 dinner, or take pot luck at grasshoppers." 



From the foregoing it will be seen that the home of Swain- 

 son's Buzzard is on the prairies of the Northwest, while in 

 Ontario it is only a casual visitor. I first met with it at an 

 agricultural fair in Hamilton in 1865, where a young specimen 

 was observed in a collection which was competing for a prize. 

 Being called upon to name the species to which it belonged, I 

 turned to such works of reference as were available and made 

 it out to be Buteo Bairdi (Hoy.), which is now known to be the 

 young of Buieo Swainsoni. Since that time I have occasionally 

 seen birds in similar plumage flying overhead, but did not again 

 meet with it close enough for examination till the present 

 summer (1886) when I saw one in the hands of a local 

 taxidermist where it had been left to be "stuffed." It too was 

 a young bird, but in fine plumage with the characteristic 

 markings fully displayed. 



When we have more naturalists among our sportsmen, such 

 a bird as this will be more frequently brought to light. At 

 present should a hawk come along, when there is nothing better 

 in sight, it is killed in the interest of the game, but is seldom 

 picked up. 



139. BUTEO LATISSIMUS (WiLs.). 

 Broad- winged Hawk. 



Three outer primaries emarginate on inner web. Above, umber-brown, 

 the feathers with paler, or even with fulvous or ashy-white edging, those of 



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