A Catalogue of Birds obtained in Navarro County, Texas. 231 



falcon, which contents itself at first with ducking its head to 

 avoid the blow, but at last is always compelled to vacate its 

 perch. It is only during a contest of this kind that there is any 

 possibility of approaching these birds, which at all other times 

 are very wild. They fly with great swiftness, generally close to 

 the ground, and feed upon prairie grouse, plover, curlews, &c. 



Falco peregeinus ncevius (Gmel.) Duch Hawk— A scarce 

 winter visitor, arriving with the migratory flocks of water 

 fowl about October, and leaving with them in spring. While 

 lying in wait for ducks at a prairie tank, I had an opportunity 

 of witnessing an exciting chase of a shoveller by one of these 

 falcons. When first observed, the duck was flying towards the 

 tank in a hurried manner, and not more than twenty feet from 

 the ground, and a moment afterwards I saw the falcon descend 

 like a flash. On this occasion he missed his swoop, and the poor 

 duck, actually screaming with affright, redoubled its efforts to 

 reach the safety of the water, but, before this could be accom- 

 plished, its pursuer had risen again, and with a second and more 

 successful swoop struck the duck into the water within a few 

 feet of where I was standing. This example proved to be an 

 immature male. Once I saw a chase somewhat reversed, when 

 having wounded a peregrine, an adult male harrier which was 

 passing at the time followed and struck it down in my sight. 



^SALON cOLUMBARius (Linn.) Pigeon Hawk— I met with this 

 little falcon only as a winter visitor, occurring between the 

 months of October and March inclusive, and never in any quan- 

 tity. They frequent the wooded banks of prairie creeks, and the 

 borders of the dense timber, but I never found them in the river 

 bottom lands. Their food consists almost entirely of small birds, 

 such as sparrows, cowbirds, &c., but, when hungry, they do not 

 hesitate to attack much larger species. On my way home, when 

 passing through the Indian territory, 9, hawk agreeing in size 

 with this species, but almost black in colour, flew past the train 

 so close that I had a good view of it. 



TiNNUNCULUS SPARVERius (Linn.) SpavTOW Hawk— A winter 

 visitor in very large numbers, arriving about the last week of 

 August, and leaving before the end of April, and frequenting the 

 open prairie and large clearings in the timbered districts in pre- 

 ference to the more thickly wooded lands. They are sedentary 



