HAWKS 131 



ber 15, and 5 or 6, September 21, 1911. During January and 

 February, 1912, in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, I found 

 this hawk scarce, noting only 1 at Orange Beach, January 27, 

 1 at Mobile, February 6, and 1 on Petit Bois Island, February 

 12. At Bayou Labatre, November 17 to 26, 1915, I noted the 

 bird in small numbers nearly every day. Holt saw one at 

 Barachias, January 10, 1909, and I saw one there, March 29, 

 1914. Miss Carrie Parkhurst reports seeing one at Talladega, 

 in February, 1903, and another in December, 1907. 



General habits. — The marsh hawk may easily be recognized 

 in flight by the conspicuous white patch on its rump. Its 

 long wings and tail make it appear much larger than it really 

 is. It is a graceful flyer and tireless hunter, coursing cease- 

 lessly at no great height over the marshes and upland meadows 

 in search of its food, now hovering for a few seconds over 

 some suspected spot or suddenly dropping to the ground for 

 its prey. Having satisfied its appetite, it will retire to a stake 

 or post and remain quietly perched on it for a considerable 

 time. 



Food habits. — The food habits of this hawk class it as main- 

 ly beneficial ; it feeds in large part on mice and other rodents, 

 grasshoppers and other insects, frogs, lizards, and snakes. 

 Dr. Fisher says that it is probably the most active and deter- 

 mined foe of meadow mice and ground squirrels, destroying 

 greater numbers of these pests than any other species.f It 

 occasionally captures poultry and small birds, chiefly the 

 ground-dwelling sparrows, but these depredations are more 

 than offset by its destruction of noxious rodents. 



SHARP-SHINNED HAWK; LITTLE BLUE DARTER: 



Acdpiter velox (Wilson). 



State records. — The sharp-shinned hawk is a rather un- 

 common resident in all parts of the State. It is recorded by 

 Avery as resident and breeding at Greensboro, specimens 

 having been taken there October 29, 1886, November 11, 1887, 

 and November 5, 1891. McCormack has noted it at Leighton, 

 December 17, 1889, and July 30 and November 26, 1891, but 



tFisher, A. K., Bull. 3, Div. Ornith. and Mamm., p. 29, 1893. 



