SHARP EYES 39 



sound of his machine was heard, the swallows ap- 

 peared and attended him like a brood of hungry 

 chickens. He says there was a continued rush of 

 purple wings over the "cut-bar," and just where it 

 was causing the grass to tremble and fall. Without 

 his assistance the swallows Avould doubtless have 

 gone hungry yet another day. 



Of tlie hen-hawk, he has observed that both male 

 and female take part in incubation. "I was rather 

 surprised," he says, "on one occasion, to see how 

 quickly they change places on the nest. The nest 

 was in a tall beech, and the leaves were not yet fully 

 out. I could see the head and neck of the hawk 

 over the edge of the nest, when I saw the other hawk 

 coming down through the air at full speed. I ex- 

 pected he would alight near by, but instead of that 

 he struck directly upon the nest, his mate getting 

 out of the way barely in time to avoid being hit; it 

 seemed almost as if he had knocked her off the nest. 

 I hardly see how they can make such a rush on the 

 nest without danger to the eggs." 



The kingbird will worry the hawk as a whiffet 

 dog will worry a bear. It is by his persistence and 

 audacity, not by any injury he is capable of dealing 

 his great antagonist. The kingbird seldom more 

 than dogs the hawk, keeping above and between 

 his wings, and making a great ado; but my corre- 

 spondent says he once "saw a kingbird riding on 

 a hawk's back. The hawk flew as fast as possible, 

 and the kingbird sat upon his shoulders in triumph 

 until they had passed out of sight," — tweaking his 



