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". Birds of Massachusetts. 83. 
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skims along the ground in search of mice and frogs, " 
which are its main dependence for food, sometimes - 
carrying on its labors in the twilight or the moon- 
light. In the winter, it extends its migration from 
Hudson's Bay to the southern limits of the United 
States. Audubon found it at Labrador, on the one 
hand, and at Texas on the other. 
The Meruin, Z'alco «salon, of which a specimen 
was obtained by Dr. Richardson at Carlton House, 
in the fur countries, is at present but little known 
in America. It is the same with the English merlin, 
which was formerly used in falconry, being valued 
for its strength and spirit, though inferior in size. 
The female could kill a partridge at a single pounce, 
but the male contents himself with humbler game. 
Nuttall assures us that this bird is occasionally seen 
in the vicinity of Boston. 
In the list of birds of prey, I have not. included 
the Gerar-roorep Hawk, Falco peregrinus, not 
having ascertained that any one has been taken 
here; but as they are growing numerous in other 
places, where they have been rare, and are now 
found in states not distant, subsequent observations 
will probably include them in the number of our 
birds. . ^ 
‘ 
The Hawk Own, Strix funerea, is so much like 
the former class of birds of prey, in its appearance, 
that, at a short distance, one could hardly determine 
whether it is a hawk or an owl. It is a native of 
the Arctic regions; in the fur countries it is well 
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