510 



NE^V ENGLAND FAllMER. 



Nov. 



from bitter and nauseous weeds in the pastures. 

 But, after all, we believe that the delicacy of flavor 

 in these New England cheeses is, for the greatest 

 part, owing to the scrupulous neatness and nicety 

 with which they are treated throughout the whole 

 process of making, together with a precise, judi- 

 cious and skilful, but indescribable seasoning of 

 the curds. Perhaps we ought to add, as an indi- 

 rect cause, that the largest and best cheese-makers 

 have this for their whole business. They do al- 

 most nothing else. To this art and its process 

 they devote the study of their lives. 



For the New England Fanner. 



THE BIRDS OF WEW ENGLAND— Wo. 3. 



FALCONS. 



Fish Hawk, or Osprey — ler Falcon — Wamlering Falcon — Spar- 

 row Hawk — Pigeon Hawk — Merlin. 



With the celebrated Osprey, or Fish Hawk, 

 {Pandion CaroUne7isis, Bonap.; P.lialkatus, Sav.,) 

 a bird so familiar to the inhabitants residing along 

 our sea-coast and the shores of our lakes and 

 larger rivers, will be concluded the history of the 

 Aquilime, or Eagles. This truly majestic bird is 

 so closely allied to the famed Osprey of the east- 

 ern continent (P'liidion halicctus) that it was for- 

 merly confounded with it, until the exact research- 

 es of C. L. Bonaparte, Prince of Musignano, 

 showed them to be distinct, he distinguishing the 

 present species as the American Fish Hawk, (P. 

 Carolinensis, as above.) Though found in sum- 

 mer inhabiting from Hudson's Bay to Florida, it 

 generally returns, according to Audubon, beyond 

 the limits of the United States in winter ; and its 

 reappearance along our shores as spring opens is 

 said to be hailed with pleasure by all, and partic- 

 ularly by the fishermen, as it indicates the return 

 of those finny tribes that minister to the suste- 

 nance of both ; and the noble character of this 

 bird renders him off"ensive to none, while his 

 graceful form and majestic flight, as well as bis 

 interesting habits, commend him to our regard. 

 Wilson, who was a poet of no mean abilities, as 

 well as a naturalist, thus finely describes its arri- 

 val : 



"Soon as the sun, frreat ruler of the year, 

 6en»is to our northern climes his bright career, 

 And from the caves of Ocean calls from sleep 

 The finny shoals, and myriads of the deep ; 

 When freezing tempests back to Greenland ride, 

 And equal hours the day and night divide ; 

 True to the season, o'er our sea-beat shore, 

 The sailing Osprey high is seen to soar 

 With broad, unmoving wing ; and, circling slow, 

 Marks each loose straggler in the deep below , 

 Sweeps down like lightning ! plunges with a roar ! 

 And bears his struggling victim to the shore." 



The Fish Hawks are generally seen along our 

 whole New England sea-coast in spring, a few 

 breeding there, and along our larger rivers ; they 

 are frequently seen in this vicinity (Springfield, 

 Mass.,) in April, and are probably common around 

 the lakes of northern New England. Preying 

 wholly upon fish, it never molests the property 

 of the farmer ; and difl'ering from most of the 

 rapacious birds in its somewhat social habits, is 

 frequently seen in large companies. They often 

 build in societies, three hundred nests containing 

 young having been counted on a small island near 

 the eastern point of Long Island, while Wilson 

 speaks of seeing twenty in a distance of half a 

 mile, and Audubon mentions of meeting with fif- 



ty in a day's excursion. The nest is a large struc- 

 ture, placed in trees, and composed of large sticks, 

 mullein and corn-stalks, dry grass, &c., forming 

 a mass, it is said, sufficient to fill a cart, and vis- 

 ible at half a mile's distance ; and it is generally 

 occupied for several years. The common Crow 

 Blackbirds (Quisculus versicolor) are sometimes 

 ))t'rmitted to build in the interstices of the Fish 

 Hawk's eyry, "like humble vassals," as Wilson 

 observes, "around the castle of their chief, laying, 

 hatching their young, and living together in mu- 

 tual harmony ;" yet they ])ossess courage, and of- 

 ten combine against their powerful oppressors, 

 the Bald Eagles, and drive them from their pre- 

 cincts. 



The Fish Hawk measures twenty-two inches in 

 length, and sixty-three in alar extent ; upper part 

 of the head, white ; general color of the plumage 

 above dark brown ; below, white. 



Entering the sub-family Falconince (true, or 

 proper Falcons) the typical group among the 

 Fcde.onid(e, we meet with birds of less size and 

 strength, but characterized by great courage, swift- 

 ness of flight, and cxpertness in the chase, often 

 exceeding the Eagles in these points ; and in the 

 ancient days of falconry were highly prized in 

 the royal sports. 



The Jeu Falcon, or Gyr Falcon, {Falco 

 Idandicus, Lath.) is one of the largest and no- 

 blest, and probably the most celebrated of the 

 birds used in falconry, its size being near that of 

 the Osprey, and its intrejndity exceeded by none, 

 it boldly attacking the largest birds, as Storks, 

 Cranes and Herons. Its native haunts are the 

 cold, arctic regions of Europe and America, Ice- 

 land having always been one of its favorite re- 

 treats, while a few are met with along the precip- 

 itous coasts of Norway, Sweden and Greenland. 

 Richardson observed it occasionally at Hudson's 

 Bay ; Audubon discovered its nest on the deso- 

 late coast of Labrabor ; Nuttall remarks that a 

 few pairs are sometimes s*en in Massachusetts 

 in winter, which is all that entitles it to a rank 

 in the list of our New England birds. Plumage 

 mostly white. 



The Wandering Falcon, Great Footed 

 Hawk, or Duck Hawk, {Falco peregriaus, Linn.,) 

 is hardly less celebrated for feats of daring than 

 his noted congener just described, but is rather 

 less in size, yet almost equally famed in falcon- 

 ry. This species is common to both continents, 

 if, indeed, it be everywhere the same, which Bo- 

 naparte d'.clares is not the case, he accordingly 

 characterizing tiie present species as distinct from 

 the European, under the name Falco anatum, — 

 Duck Hawk ; Avhile Audubon found no diff"erence 

 between those he examined in England and the 

 ones he had killed in America. They are every- 

 where noted for sti'ength and boldness, and their 

 feats of daring are regarded wdth wonder by the 

 sportsmen along our coasts. In Europe they are 

 said to be found chiefly in the mountainous dis- 

 tricts, seldom descending to the plains, and avoid- 

 ing marshy districts ; while in America they are 

 most common along the sea-coast of the Atlantic 

 States, and in the vicinity of lakes and the larger 

 rivers, where the various imuatic birds abound, 

 which furnish them with food, — a diflerence in 

 habit hardly reconcilable, regarding the bird as 

 identical in the two countries. This formidable 

 Hawk, known generally as the Duck Hawk, Hen 



