A FEW FEATHERED FIENDS. 217 



hawks when captured late in life ; under such cir- 

 cumstances the difference in their surroundings may 

 tend to make them taciturn. If we could gain their 

 confidence, we might possibly be able to see them 

 in a new light As it is, we have a comparatively 

 tame species in the fish-hawks, and by lingering 

 about their nests will very quickly discover that they 

 are incessant "talkers." 



As regards harriers, they are extremely cautious, 

 if not very wild, birds, and probably not more than 

 once in a winter will a closer view of them be had 

 than that afforded by their zigzag flight over the 

 fields. They can certainly do the harrying act to 

 perfection. First one wing and then the other will 

 be tipped downward until the top of the tall grass 

 is lightly brushed and birds and mice hurry and 

 skurry in every direction ; but the instant a victim is 

 sighted there are exhibited a precision and an im- 

 petuosity that leave to those who love such traits 

 nothing to be desired. 



Materially reduce the size and vastly increase the 

 activity and a correct idea is presented of that 

 thoroughly murderous yet most attractive bird, the 

 sharp-shinned hawk. Not a " noble" hawk accord- 

 ing to the ideas of falconers in days gone by, but 

 there never was a bird of prey that could do its 

 particular work any better or with a less percentage 

 of failure. I once saw a sharp-shinned hawk strike 

 a barn-swallow, and was then fully satisfied of the 

 absolute perfection of its peculiar powers. These 

 small falcons leave their nesting-sites in the more 

 K 19 



