THE OOLOGIST. 



91 



theless, acquire the requisite speed, and so 

 fail of momentum, the product of mass and 

 motion. Excepting during their occasion- 

 al aerial evolutions, when they appear to 

 circle lightly, they are retarded by their own 

 weight, and are generally observed win- 

 nowing low over the ground with almost la- 

 borious movement. They pick up their 

 prey as they pass by, dipping obliquely, 

 and it requires no great agility to elude 

 their clutch. Most small birds, it seems, 

 evade capture, so that the Hawks chiefly 

 confine themselves to less active quarry. 



" But we must not hastily conclude that 

 the Ferrugiueous Buzzard is spiritless be- 

 cause its courage is seldom conspicuous. 1 

 have seen it fight bravely at desperate odds. 

 Riding through an open glade, I once ob- 

 served a Hawk of this species perched on 

 the top of a dead tree that stood alone. 

 Anxious as I was to secure it, I could only 

 ride carelessly along, for there was no cov- 

 er, and the bird had already marked me. 

 I pretended not to notice it, gradually draw- 

 ing nearer without altering my horse's pace 

 or making a movement. The ruse succeed- 

 ed, and I was almost to the tree before the 

 bird unfolded his broad wings and launched 

 into the air. Without even drawing rein 1 

 threw up my gun, and the report echoed 

 from the rocks beyond. But the Hawk 

 sailed on, and I thought I had missed, till, 

 following him with wistful eyes, I saw his 

 course gradually lower, and at last he fell 

 heavily to the earth, several hundred yards 

 away. I hastened to the spot, flushed with 

 gratification, but it was a sad sight after 

 all. Shot had penetrated the bird's lungs, 

 and he lay on his breast with wide-stretch- 

 ed wings and drooping head, breathing 

 heavily, while the blood trickled from his 

 beak. Thinking life almost extinct, I dis- 

 mounted and came up to him, when in an 

 instant he roused, recognized his extremity, 

 and dared me to touch him — for with a con- 

 vulsive effort he threw himself on his back, 

 stretched out his talons defiantly, and snap- 

 ped wrathfuUy, while the old fire flashed 

 again in his eyes. But the effort was too 

 much ; while striking wildly, a fresh stream 



of blood welled up from his throat, he shiv- 

 ered, his eye grew filmy again, and he lay 

 dead on the stained greensward. Who 

 could but admire the pride that disdained to 

 yield, even at ^e point of death ? 



" This method of approaching Hawks is 

 frequently successful, and not seldom the 

 only one that can be employed when the 

 birds are in exposed situations. Ten to one, 

 when perched on a tree-top, they have al- 

 ready espied you before you noticed them, 

 and are watching your movements. If you 

 show they are observed, by attempting to 

 work up to til em, they suspect at once, and 

 are off" at their own convenience. But they 

 appear to be less afraid of a mounted per- 

 son than of one afoot, and may be often ap- 

 proached indirectly, with the simple precau- 

 tion of not making them aware they are 

 themselves observed. Ride until just with- 

 in range, and shoot on the instant ; you 

 will have a fair snap shot, probably just as 

 the bird spreads its wings, alarmed at your 

 sudden stop. The same day I killed the one 

 just spoken of, and but a few moments be- 

 fore, riding through the woods, I came up 

 to a Red-tail, perched on a bough only four 

 or five yards overhead. I did not see it 

 myself until I was right underneath it, too 

 near to shoot ; so I rode on a few steps, 

 wheeled suddenly, and made a successful 

 shot as the bird flew. On another occasion 

 a large Hawk sufl^ered a squadron of caval- 

 ry to file past him as he cowered against 

 the face of a rocky ledge, not fifteen yards 

 away ; and only took wing, a few seconds 

 too late, on discovering, by my motions, 

 that he was observed." 



The methods of approach in hunting 

 Hawks are very numerous ; the one par- 

 ticularly mentioned by the author of the 

 foregoing was once the source of much vex- 

 ation and a considerable loss of confidence 

 in narrated expositions of ' 'how to approach 

 shy birds," to us, for we, Avith the aid of a 

 very affable farm hand, harassed a Rough- 

 legged Hawk in the same general way but 

 with a few variations nearly two days, with- 

 out obtaining even a fair rifle-shot at it, but 



