Fear in Birds. 



123 



Vireo, Maryland Yellow Throat, Song Sparrow, Chickadee, the Redstart and a Goldfinch, 

 many of which became excited and joined in the general outcry. 



On a warm July day while crossing a barren strip of land, which bore a crop of 

 golden-rod and sweet-fern, my attention was called to a small brown bird with a large 

 grasshopper in its beak. It was the Bay-winged Bunting or Grass Finch, and the prey 

 was clearly intended for her young, but instead of delivering it she hopped nervously 

 about, uttering her sharpest monosyllables, in the course of which she finally dropped the 

 prey. Thinking that her young were at hand, I sat down to await developments. Pres- 

 ently several Buntings dashed up to the spot a few yards away. They glanced down at 

 the ground, and then at me, 

 emitting such a flow of incisive 

 protests as to suggest the at- 

 tempt to draw attention from 

 their nest. This was plainly not 

 the case when some Kingbirds 



o 



left their young in a neighboring 

 tree, and raising their war-cry, 

 hovered over the spot and darted 

 at some object on the ground. 

 Thereupon going to the place, I 

 almost stepped on what looked 

 at first like a coil of rubber hose 

 in the grass. It proved to be a 

 large black snake, whose head 

 was distorted in the act of swal- 

 lowing a young bird. The crisis 

 for the unfortunate bird being 

 past, I stood by and watched the 

 proceedings. The snake had 

 taken his victim head first, and 

 its body was slowly disappearing 

 between his distended jaws. As 



I disturbed his meal, he folded Fig. 120. Red-tailed Hawk, four months old, in attitude expressive of 



his dull, rubber-like body into a his own fear, and well calculated to inspire fear in others. The young 



> bird at the nest will spread its wings as well as erect its Elizabethan 



Coil and his gleaming eyes be- frill, and hiss at intruders. 



trayed an unpleasant frame of 



mind. When I approached nearer, he lifted his swollen head high in the air, and slowly 

 glided off to enjoy his spoils in peace; but his enemy followed. On this occasion we had the 

 serpent at a disadvantage, but he did not remain muzzled long Having proceeded thus far, 

 that bird had to go down, notwithstanding the throes of deglutition. It was a tax upon 

 the salivary glands, but they were equal to the task, and the pliant jaws soon closed over 

 their victim. What a picture of stealth this animal made as with head erect, and eyes 

 darting angry glances, he stole through the grass ! The first act of the tragedy being closed, 

 it was time to add the final touches of the second. As I struck at him with my cane how 

 he shot through the grass, and it required no little speed to reach him for the fatal blow ! 



