C. H. Merritnn — B/n/.t nj' ('omnrficiit. 70 



eggs from five oftlicin. He says, '' It is l.nM :ii,,l Icnrlcvs, yA\vn .liv- 

 ing witliin a few rods ol'tlic fai-iiuT and st-izino- liis cliickciis. It. .nee 

 iiitrodiu-ed to tlie young poidtry, you may rest assured <.f a daily call 

 till all are gone, unless you are fortunate enough t<> secuic the intru- 

 der. I onee saw one of tliese Hawks seize a chickt ii .m a \cry stcti) 

 side-liill, elose beside the old hen. In an instant the enraged mother 

 flew upon the thief, and hoth came tumbling down the hill, cHucIkmI 

 together; running up, I was just about to grasp the Hawk when tli(\- 

 ]iarted. It sometimes attacks full grown poultry with success. A 

 gentleman once informed me that, ' while standing l)y his wood-pile, 

 close by the house, one of these birds do^e upon a full grown rooster, 

 within six or eight rods of him. The fowl ran some two oi- three 

 rods and dropped dead. The Hawk soon returned to de\ our his 

 game, as it was too heavy for him to carry away, but his audacity 

 cost him his life.' "* 



In the old colonial days, when every man spelled as best suited his 

 own fancy, the different kinds of Hawks did not pass unnoticed, for in 

 1632 Morton wrote : " There are Hawkes in New England of 5. sorts, 

 and these of all other fether fowles I must not omitt, to speake of, 

 nor neede I to make any Apology for my selfe, concerning anv tres- 

 pass, that I am like to make upon my judgment, concerning the 

 nature of them, having bin bred in so genious a way, that T had the 

 common use of them in P]ngland : and at my first arrivall in those 

 parts practiced to take a Lamiaret, which I reclaimed, trained, and 

 made flying in a fortnight, the same being a ))assinger at jMichuelmas. 

 I found that these are most excellent Mettell, rank winged, well con- 

 ditioned, and not tickleish footed, and having whoods, bels, luers, 

 and all things fitting, was desirous to make exjx'riment of that kinde 

 of Hawke, before any other. And T am ]K'rswaded : that nature hath 

 ordained them to be of a farre better kinde, then any that lia\c Itin 

 used in England. "f It seems to me that there is little (bmbt but that 

 the above remarks refer to Cooper's Hawk. 



159. Astur atricapillns (Wilson) Jardine. floshawk. 



Rather rare, and somewhat irregular, winter visitant. Said to 

 breed, occasionally, as far south as Massachusetts (Maynnrd and 

 Minot). 



* Hartford Times, chap, ix, May 18th, 1861. 



+ New English Canaan. By Thomas Morton, p. 49. Hi:!2. | Reprinted in Force's 

 Hist. Tracts, vol. ii, T. ,5.] 



