* 
Birds of M assachusets 81 * 
they seem to have an intuitive perception of the use 
and reach of the gun, and if they see a person armed, 
they give a scream of disgust, and sail away far be- 4 
yond his reach. As farmers give them the name of : 
hen-hawks, and treat them accordingly, they are 
compelled to exert much caution in their distant 
intercourse with man. They are able to do this — ; E 
successfully, by means of their rapid and powerful f 
flight; they can float high over a whole plantation, ;* 
without a single flapping of their wings; all the 
while they make a mournful cry, as if wholly intent i 
upon their own sorrows, but they are in reality z 
keeping sharp watch on every thing that moves be- | 
low; should they see an animal, they alight, take : 
deliberate aim, and shoot down like an arrow to 
secure it. They will sometimes, as if in the mere M 
enjoyment of this power, soar upwards till they are P =. 
lost in the clear blue sky. These birds rear their wet j e a 
young in Massachusetts, building in dee ag 
they may escape persecution. ‘The fran 
their nest is made of sticks, p nishe wit 
and coarse grass. The eggs are of a dull w 
blotched with black and brown. The young are 
fed with squirrels, rabbits, and various other food. 
As soon as the young are able to take care of them- 
selves, the old birds dissolve their partnership, and 
treat each other as perfect strangers. 
The Brack Warrior, Falco Harlanii, was first —— 
discovered by Audubon in Louisiana. He at first 
supposed it to be the black hawk of Wilson, but 
on examination it proved to be a new species, al- 
VOL. IIIL.—NO. I-H. — 
