98 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



A SPARROW HAWK'S MISTAKE, 



Mr. Sparrow Hawk Jr was able to fly. Doubtless he had promised 

 himself while in the nest depending upon his parents for a livlihood, 

 that when he did get out he would gorge himself to his crop's content. 

 Whether this was his first expedition in search of food or not of course 

 I cannot say, but judging from his unsteady flight I should say that it 

 was. I did not see the chase begin. The first that I knew of it my at- 

 tention was attracted by the screams of the hawk and looking in that 

 direction I saw a small ground sparrow fly swiftly from a clump of trees, 

 in which a pair of Sparrow Hawks had nested. A group of barn swal- 

 lows were enjoying a game of tag, and as the hawk and sparrow passed 

 one of the swallows flew between the pursued and pursuer, either to 

 share the fun or by accident; any way, the hawk left the sparrow and 

 concentrated all his energies upon the swallow who enjoyed it much — 

 keeping just out of reach of the angry hawk. At length the patience of 

 the hawk was completely exhausted, and he gave vent to his feelings 

 by a series of squawks and "gi-lees" which unfortunately for the hawk, 

 attracted the attention of a passing kingbird, who hastened to the scene 

 of conflict with a will, cruelly tearing the feathers from the young hawk. 



A brown thrasher from a dead pine looked on with as much cold- 

 blooded interest as an old Roman at some combat, and with tail down 

 cried: "Pull 'um out, pull 'um out, killhim-killhim, that's it-that's it." 



A. L. McIntire. 



Photo by Geo. W. Fisk. 



YOUNG HORNED GRliBE. 



