52 AMERIOAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



FROM A BIRD DIARY. 



By Harriet L. Grove. 



Jan. 30, 1902. 



Such an event this afternoon ! I was sitting at the sewing machine, when 

 thumi^! joiid against the window came something heavy, making me jmiip 

 out of my chair, startled and alert. 



A great bird, like a chicken, at first glance, flew away, as startled as I. 

 Perhaps he was deceived by the reflection of trees and sky, which I after- 

 wards noticed in the glass ; perhaps in the act of catching a sparrow, for he 

 was a hawk. 



Of course, I could not alj; once find overshoes, and must get my glasses, 

 but I thought I should find him somewhere, for a loud cackling from the 

 chicken pen indicated that something had been going on. 



School was just out; I asked spiiie boys if they had seen a large bird fly. 

 They turned to look, as I did, and there was the bird in an apple tree next 

 door. Startled again at our attentions, he flew back toward his starting 

 point, and I returned, going around to the chicken yard. No signs of life; 

 the chickens, at first cackling and greatly disturbed, had gone within their 

 house, out of danger, though the wire roof would have protected them. 



Rounding the corner of the house, I frightened the bird from a porch, 

 where he had settled himself to devour his prey; and, as he flew, I saw the 

 remains of a sparrow dangling from his hooked bill. 



To the front again, and after various circlings of bird and bird-hunter, 

 the glass was at last on him where he clung to a vine, with outspread wings 

 and showed his fierce> curved bill, bright eyes and yellow legs. Flying again, 

 he settled upon a tree near by. There I viewed him more satisfactorily, and 

 after running in for pencil and note book, drew a rough sketch of his back. 

 Inclined to consider the bird- a Sharp-shinned Hawk, I have not yet quite 

 satisfied myself as to the sj)ecies. 



The hawk was whitish, streaked with brown beneath. The head was 

 dark, almost solid brown on top, growing lighter and streaked on neck and 

 upper breast. His back and wings were brown, white spots quite regularly 

 placed on the wings. The tail was brown, just tipped with white and banded 

 Avith three distinct chocolate-brown bands. 



A la Ernest Thompson Seton, I afterwards read a little history in the 

 snow around the chicken yard, where the hawk had doubtless, been watch- 

 ing for the Sparrows which fly in and out of the wires after food. There 

 were many tracks, both in the open and where he had hidden, lying in wait 

 for the unwary. 



