FALCO COLUMBARWS. 297 



Nuthatches, etc. that go trooping past; not with evil eye, however, for what do they want 

 with feathered bipeds? grasshoppers are more to their liking; so they dine heartily upon 

 thrin. After the noon-time siesta, it' it chances to he in the spring, they take a look at 

 the hole where, they have deposited their eggs for years past; then taking a short flight to 

 some neighboring stub, they sup upon grasshoppers and return to roost in the old tree. 

 This, without variation, is their lives: this, without variation, is their diet: a blue sky over- 

 head; gentle, refreshing bree/.es blowing across the green woodland; nothing to do but to 

 pick uii grasshoppers of which they appear never to tire. It is true that they can find 

 green grasshoppers and brown grasshoppers, grasshoppers with wings and wingless grass- 

 hoppers, bui still, as- far as any distinctive taste is concerned, there must be but little vari- 

 ation; yet to all appearances, the Hawks are satisfied, for I never saw one take any other 

 kind of food. 



With the Sparrow Hawks in the bleak North, all this is quite dilferent; here they are 

 obliged to work for a living and, although insects form a part of their food, they do not, 

 in fact, cannot, subsist on this kind of diet alone; mice and other small mammals, little 

 birds, and even reptiles are obliged to contribute to their larder. Nor are these always 

 easily gained; thus it is not infrequent to see a Sparrow Hawk hovering over a field, sus- 

 pending himself on rapidly vibrating wings, and darting downward many times before his 

 hunger i.s fully appeased. 



The Sparrow Hawks of Florida breed in the natural cavities of trees or in the desert- 

 ed holes of Woodpeckers, often in trees which are inhabited by these latter named birds, 

 and all live together upon good terms. The eggs are deposited by the middle of April, in 

 this section, ami a little later further north. The young leave the nest early in July and 

 ompany their parents for some time, then separate into pairs. These Hawks are rather 

 uncommon in Massachusetts, even in summer, and are quite rare in winter, for the great- 

 er part migrate south of us. 



These little Hawks are quite gentle in confinement, when used well, making pretty as 

 well as interesting pets and several that I had, became so familiar as to perch on my fin- 

 ger in order to take food from my hand. 



TALCO COLUMBARIUS. 



Pigeon Hawk. 

 Falco columtarius LINN., Syst. Nat., I; 1766, 128. 



DESCRIPTION. 



8n.Cn. Form, rather robust. Size, medium. Sternum, stout, with the marginal indentations quite large. Tunnue. 

 short, tl.iek, quite lle-hy, about the same width for nearly its entire length, horny at tip, where it is rounded, bifid, and 

 i. Tail, moderately rounded. Wings, witli two outer quills incised. Tarsus, slightly feathered in front. 

 There HIT usually no traces, of any ceeca. 



\dultmale. Above, including upper wing coverts, secondaries, and upper tail coverts, dark bluish-slate, 

 every feather having a narrow, central, longitudinal line of black. Primaries, black, tipped with ashy-white. Tail, light 

 Mui- i ly white on the inner web-; it is tipped with ashy-white and cro-sed l,y a wide subterininsd hand 



of black, and a '-al other narrower bands ,,( the- i and th'.-oat, w hite. Hemainder of under 



parls, including under wing coverts, under tail coverts, and tibia, pale buff, streaked with dark-brown. 



38 



