188 STANLEY HAWK. 



war-cry of the Cock, and at the same time observed the Hawk rising, as if 

 without effort, a few yards in the air, and again falhng towards the ground 

 with the rapidity of lightning. I proceeded to the spot, and found the 

 Hawk grappled to the body of the Cock, both tumbling over and over, and 

 paying no attention to me as I approached. Desirous of seeing the result, 

 I remained still, until perceiving that the Hawk had given a fatal squeeze 

 to the brave Cock, I ran to secure the former ; but the marauder had kept 

 a hawk's eye upon me, and, disengaging himself, rose in the air in full 

 confidence. The next moment I pulled a trigger, and he fell dead to the 

 ground. It proved a young male, such as you see, kind reader, repre- 

 sented in the Plate, pursuing a lovely Blue-bird nearly exhausted. The 

 Cock was -also dead ; its breast was torn, and its neck pierced in several 

 places by the sharp claws of the Hawk. 



Some years afterwards, not far from the amed Falls of Niagara, in the 

 month of June, one of these Hawks, which on being examined proved to 

 be a female, attacked a brood of young chickens, yet under the care of 

 their mother. It had just struck one of the chickens, and was on the 

 eve of carrying it off in its claws, when the hen, having perceived the 

 murderous deed, flew against the Hawk with such force as to throw it 

 fairly on its back, when the intrepid mother so effectively assailed the mis- 

 creant with feet and bill, as to enable me, on running up, to secure the latter. 



This species frequently kills and eats the bird commonly called the 

 Pheasant {Teti-ao Umbellus). Partridges and young hares are also fa- 

 vourite dainties. It also follows the Wild Pigeons in their migrations, 

 and always causes fear and confusion in their ranks. 



It breeds in the mountainous districts of the Middle and Northern 

 States, to which it returns early in spring from the Southern States, where 

 it spends the winter in considerable numbers, and is known by the name 

 of the Great Pigeon Hawk. So rapidly must they travel from one extre- 

 mity of the country to another, to reach the places to which they resort for 

 the purpose of breeding, that I have seen them copulate in Louisiana, where 

 they never breed, in the month of February, and have found their nest 

 with eggs in which the chick was far advanced, in the State of Connecti- 

 cut, on the 20th of April. 



The nest is usually placed in the forks of the branch of an Oak-tree 

 towards its extremity. In its general appearance it resembles that of the 

 Common Crow, for which I have several times mistaken it. It is com- 

 posed externally of numerous crooked sticks, and has a slight lining of 

 grasses and a few feathers. The eggs are three or four, almost globular, 



