336 ACCIPITER COOPEEI, COOPER's HAWK. 



observed, in youth, the upper parts are dark brown, deepest on the 

 head, where often quite blackish, and the under parts are white or 

 ■whitish, lengthwise streaked with brown. This latter marking gradu- 

 ally changes, both in pattern and color, to a flue rusty red, in trans- 

 verse bars alternating with white. The upper parts simultaneously 

 grow bluish-gray ; the under finally acquire a similar glaucous shade. 

 There is nothing peculiar in this, however, for it is the rule among 

 Hawks, that those which on the under parts were barred crosswise when 

 adult, are striped lengthwise when young. The coloration and changes 

 of plumage of A. fuscus are precisely the same. 



The birds of this geniL« are closely allied to the true Astiirs, or Gos- 

 hawks, differing mainly in smaller size, slenderer build, and conse- 

 queutlj inferior prowess ; but they are " noble " birds of prey, scarcely 

 yielding in spirit and action to the typical Falcons themselves. Coop- 

 er's is one of the largest of the genus, and an audacious highwayman 

 it is. An idea of its daring may be gathered from Audubon's account 

 of an exploit he witnessed : " This marauder sometimes attacks birds 

 far superior to itself in weight, and sometimes possessed of a courage 

 and strength equal to its own. As I was one morning observing the 

 motions of some Parakeets near Bayou Sara, in Louisiana, in the month 

 of ^November, I heard a cock crowing not far from me, and iu sight of 

 a farm-house. The Hawk next moment flew past me, and so close that 

 I might have touched it with the barrel of my gun, had I been prepared. 

 Not more than a few seconds elapsed before I heard the cackling of 

 the hens, and the war-cry of the cock, and at the same time observed 

 the Hawk rising, as if without eftbrt, a few yards in the air, and again 

 falling toward the ground with the rapidity of lightning. I proceeded 

 to the spot, and found the Hawk grappled to the body of the cock, l)oth 

 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, disen- 

 gaging himself, rose in the air in full confidence. The next moment 1 

 pulled trigger, and he fell dead to the ground." 



On the other hand. Cooper's Hawk has occasionally been tamed, ex- 

 hibiting an intelligent docility, and no small degree of regard for its 

 master. I witnessed an interesting instance of this while in the south- 

 west, riding twenty miles one day to see some tamed Hawks that had 

 gTOwn quite famous locally. I find the following account of the visit 

 in one of my old note-books : " Our errand told, we were»made at home 

 directly, for ' Tennessee Bill,' as our host was known in these parts, was 

 proud of his pets, and doubtless gratified we had come so far to see 

 them ; besides, he was not sorry to hear the news from ' the fort,' living 

 all alone as he did. He tendered such hospitality as his log-cabin 

 afforded — of the kind that, however varied in substance, is always much 

 the same ' in spirit.' Whoso drinks iu the West is entitled to all the 

 rights, privileges, and immunities said to be accorded him who tastes 

 salt in Arabia ; but, although I have no objection to salt in its place, I 

 consider its place as limited, and, on the whole, prefer our own customs. 

 Bill promised that the birds should be duly forthcoming — 'providin' 

 they're anyways about here,' he added. He stepped to the door, and 

 blew a long, shrill whistle with his fingers in his mouth. Ko answer, 

 and he whistled again, when, like a far echo, we heard a cry from the 

 woods. ' Jes' so ; I suspicioned they were off down the crik, huntin' 

 on their own hook; thar they come; think I've got some grub for em; 

 sold, ain't they V In a moment three Hawks came dashing toward the 



