MARSH HAWK (Circus hudsonius) 



Length, about 19 inches. The asliy upper 

 parts, white rump, and long tail of the adult 

 male sufficiently distinguish this hawk ; while 

 the fuscous upper parts and buff under parts 

 much streaked with brown distinguish the fe- 

 male and young. 



Range: Breeds through much of Canada, 

 south to the middle United States; winters in 

 the United States, especially in the South. 



Though not exclusively a marsh frequenter, 

 as its name might seem to imply, this hawk 

 prefers open countrj', and its favorite hunting 

 grounds are meadow and marsh, in which it 

 nests on the ground. It flies rather low, the 

 better to see and drop suddenly upon the luck- 

 less meadow mice — its favorite food. Unfor- 

 tunately small liirds form part of its fare, and 

 there are localities, like Cape Cod and Marthas 

 Vineyard, in Massachusetts, where this hawk 

 has earned a bad reputation as a destroyer of 

 poultry and game. However, over much the 

 larger part of the vast territory it inhal)its the 

 marsh hawk is a rodent eater, and the debt of 

 gratitude it lays upon the farmer is large. 

 This debt should be fidly discharged by pre- 

 serving the bird and encouraging its presence, 

 unless it is catight committing overt acts. In 

 other words, as this hawk is very beneficial 

 over most of its range, individual hawks should 

 be presumed to be innocent unless detected in 

 transgression. 



TURKEY BUZZARD (Cathartes aura 

 septentrionalis) 



Length, aliout 30 inches. The naked head 

 and neck and glossy Ijlack plumage are dis- 

 tincti\'C. 



Range: Extends from southwestern Canada, 

 northern Minnesota, southern New York, and 

 south into northern Mexico and Lower Cali- 

 fornia. 



This ])U2zard displa>-s superb powers of flight 

 whicli even the eagle cannot surpass, and no 

 small part of its time is spent in the upper air, 

 describing great circles on motionless wings as 

 if for the mere pleasure of flight. Let another 

 buzzard, however, discover a carcass, and the 

 movements of our aeronaut as he hastens to 

 the feast are at once noted by his next neigh- 

 bor, and his l.)y a third, till the carrion feeders 

 of a wide territory are assembled. Sight and 

 not smell, then, is depended on by the buzzard 

 to guide him to his food. Though of great 

 strength and provided with a formidable bill, 

 the buzzard rarely, if e\'er, attacks living ani- 

 mals, unless they are disabled, but depends 

 upon death to provide for his wants. No doubt 

 his aliility to fast is as great as his capacity 

 for gorging himself when occasion offers, and 

 he must often go for days without food. As 

 a scavenger the buzzard does good service and 

 should continue to enjoy the protection which 

 is at present accorded it in nearly every State 

 of the L'niun. 



Photograiih bj' Arthur E. Mayer 



HUSBAND AND WIFE 



The magnificent plumage of the peacock belongs only to the male, and it may be noticed 

 that the female to the left of the picture is far less handsome than her husband, who pre- 

 sents us with a back view of his outstretched tail. These birds were once highly esteemed 

 as food, and in the middle ages always figured at the most sumptuous banquets, roasted, 

 but in ail the glory of their gaudy plumage. 



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