SPRING AT THE CAPITAL 133 
respect indentical with those of our common hen or 
red-tailed hawk. They sail along in the same calm, 
effortless, interminable manner, and sweep around 
in the same ample spirals. The shape of their 
wings and tail, indeed their entire effect against the 
sky, except in size and color, is very nearly the 
same as that of the hawk mentioned. A dozen at 
a time may often be seen high in air, amusing them- 
selves by sailing serenely round and round in the 
same circle. 
They are less active and vigilant than the hawk; 
never poise themselves on the wing, never dive and 
gambol in the air, and never swoop down upon their 
prey; unlike the hawks also, they appear to have no 
enemies. The crow fights the hawk, and the king- 
bird and crow blackbird fight the crow; but neither 
takes any notice of the buzzard. He excites the 
enmity of none, for the reason that he molests none. 
The crow has an old grudge against the hawk, be- 
cause the hawk robs the crow’s nest and carries off 
his young; the kingbird’s quarrel with the crow is 
upon the same grounds. But the buzzard never 
attacks live game, or feeds upon new flesh when old 
can be had. 
In May, like the crows, they nearly all disappear 
very suddenly, probably to their breeding-haunts 
near the seashore. Do the males separate from the 
females at this time, and go by themselves? At 
any rate, in July I discovered that a large number 
of buzzards roosted in some woods near Rock Creek, 
about a mile from the city limits; and, as they do 
