VERTEBRATE FOOD. 



51 



identity of which was afterwards made sure by the discoveiy of the 

 feathers of a cock bobwhite on the spot where the hawk had struck. 



Sharpshinned Hawk. — The sharpshinned hawk, congener of the 

 Cooper hawk, is also a harmful species. It was frequently observed 

 pursuing native sparrows^ and on November 15, 1900, was seen tearing 

 a mockingbird to pieces. The smaller birds suffer most in autumn. 

 On the 15th of November, 1899, I was observing a score of cardinals, 

 juncos, white-throated sparrows, fox sparrows, and song sparrows 



Fig. 19.— Cooper hawk. 



that were eating ragweed seed in wheat stubble by the negro cabin. 

 Suddenly the whole flock sprang into the air and flew straight toward 

 me and into the bushes behind me, twittering with fright. Their 

 swiftness just saved them from a sharpshinned hawk, which swooped 

 and struck the ground where they had been feeding. It was two 

 hours before they dared to leave their shelter and feed again on weed 

 seeds of the stubble-field. These two species of hawks patrol the farm 



