LOUISIANA HAWK. 31 



cannot fail to see that, instead of being swift, it moves slowly and some- 

 what heavily. For this reason it is rarely seen to give chase on wing, but 

 depends more on the weight of its body while falling or swooping on its 

 prey from a certain height than upon any dexterity or velocity of 

 flight. Eagles while swooping do not use their wings as a medium of 

 propelling themselves farther than by nearly closing them, that they 

 may descend with more rapidity, in doing which they produce a loud 

 rustling noise, which I have often thought has a tendency to frighten 

 the quarry so much as to render it unable to seek for safety by flight 

 or speed of foot. The Golden Eagle can, indeed, soar to a very great 

 height, but this it accomplishes by a circling or gyratory flight of a 

 very slovenly character, and not much superior to that of Vultures 

 or birds still more nearly allied to itself. Thus, Reader, I would 

 look on this celebrated bird as one of the slowest and heaviest of its 

 tribe ; and would place next in order our Red-tailed Hawk, Falco borealis, 

 which being also possessed of ample wings, of considerable length, 

 moves through the air, and pounces upon its prey in a similar manner. 

 Then in succession will come the Black Warrior, Falco Harlani ; the 

 Broad-winged Hawk, F. Pennsyhanicus ; the Red-shouldered Hawk, 

 F. lineatus ; the Common Buzzard, F. Btiteo ; and the Rough-legged 

 Falcon, F. lagopus or F. Sancti-Johannis, which is in a manner the very 

 counterpart of the Golden Eagle, as well as every other species en- 

 dowed with no greater powers, and furnished with wings and tails of 

 similar size and form ; although, of coiu-se, some slight differences are 

 to be observed in these diff^erent species, on all of which I would will- 

 ingly bestow the distinctive name of Swoopers. All these birds are more 

 or less indolent ; one might say they are destitute of the power of dis- 

 tinguishing themselves in any remarkable manner, and none of them 

 shew a propensity to remove to any great distance from the place of 

 their birth, unless, indeed, when very hard pressed either by want 

 of food or by very intense cold. 



The next group which attracts the attention of the American orni- 

 thologist is that composed of such birds as are provided with longer 

 and almost equally broad wings, but assisted by more or less elongated 

 and forked tails. Of this kind are om- Swallow-tailed Hawk, Falco fur- 

 catus ; the Black-shouldered Hawk, F. dispar ; and the Mississippi 

 Kite, F. Mississippiensis. These species assume what I would call a 

 flowing manner of flight, it being extremely graceful, light, buoyant. 



