MISSISSIPPI KITE. 109 



Early in May, the thick-leaved Bay-Tree {^Magnolia grand'ijlora) , 

 affords in its high tops a place of safety, in which the Hawk of the South 

 may raise its young. These are out by the end of July, and are fed by 

 the parent birds mitil well practised in the art of procuring subsistence. 

 About the middle of August, they all wing their way southward. 



The affection which the old birds display towards their young, and 

 the methods which they occasionally employ to insure the safety of the 

 latter, are so remarkable, that, before I proceed to describe their general 

 habits, I shall relate a case in which I was concerned. 



Early one morning, whilst I was admiring the beauties of nature, as 

 the vegetable woi'ld lay embalmed in dew, I heard the cry of a bird that 

 I mistook for that of a Pewee Flycatcher. It was prolonged, I thought, 

 as if uttered in distress. After looking for the bird a long time in vain, 

 an object which I had at first supposed to be something that had acci- 

 dentally lodged in a branch, attracted my attention, as I thought I per- 

 ceived it moving. It did move distinctly, and the cry that had ceased 

 from the time when I reached the spot where I stood, was repeated, evi- 

 dently coming from the object in view. I now took it for a young one 

 of the Chuck-Wiirs- Widow, as it sat lengthwise on the branch. I shot 

 at it, but perhaps did not hit it, as it only opened and closed its wings, 

 as if surprised. At the report of the gun, the old bird came, holding 

 food in her claws. She perceived me, but alighted, and fed her young 

 with great kindness. I shot at both, and again missed, or at least did 

 not succeed, which might have happened from my having only small shot 

 in my gun. The mother flew in silence, sailed over head just long 

 enough to afford me time to reload, returned, and to my great surprise 

 gently lifted her young, and sailing with it to another tree, about thirty 

 yards distant, deposited it there. My feelings at that moment I cannot 

 express. I wished I had not discovered the poor bird; for who could 

 have witnessed, without emotion, so striking an example of that affection 

 which none but a mother can feel ; so daring an act, performed in the 

 midst of smoke, in the presence of a dreaded and dangerous enemy. I 

 followed, however, and brought both to the ground at one shot, so keen 

 is the desire of possession ! 



The young had the head of a fawn-colour, but I took little more no- 

 tice of it, depositing the two birds under a log, whence I intended to re- 

 move them on my return, for the purpose of drawing and describing 

 them. I then proceeded on my excursion to a lake a few miles distant. 



