26 HARRIS'S BUZZARD. 



through the air, as birds of much shorter wings, but greater muscular energy, 

 are wont to do. 



The Golden Eagle, which has universally been considered as a bird of 

 most extraordinary powers of flight, is in my estimation little more than a 

 sluggard, though its wings are long and ample. It is true that it can sustain 

 itself for a very considerable time on wing, but the observer cannot fail to 

 see that, instead of being swift, it moves slowly and somewhat heavily. 

 For this reason it is rarely seen to give chase on wing, but depends more on 

 the weight of its body while falling or swooping on its prey from a certain 

 height than upon any dexterity or velocity of flight. Eagles while swooping 

 do not use their wings as a medium of propelling themselves farther than by 

 nearly closing them, that they may descend with more rapidity, in doing 

 which they produce a loud rustling noise, which I have often thought has a 

 tendency to frighten the quarry so much as to render it unable to seek for 

 safety by flight or speed of foot. The Golden Eagle can, indeed, soar to a 

 very great height, but this it accomplishes by a circling or gyratory flight of 

 a very slovenly character, and not much superior to that of Vultures or birds 

 still more nearly allied to itself. Thus, reader, I would look on this cele- 

 brated bird as one of the slowest and heaviest of its tribe; and would place 

 next in order our Red-tailed Hawk, Falco borealis, which being also pos- 

 sessed of ample wings, of considerable length, moves through the air and 

 pounces upon its prey in a similar manner. Then in succession will come 

 the Black Warrior, Falco Harlani; the Broad-winged Hawk, F. Pennsyl- 

 vanicus; the Red-shouldered Hawk, F. lineatus; the Common Buzzard, 

 Buleo vulgaris; and the Rough-legged Falcon, F. lagopus or F. Sancti- 

 Johannis, which is in a manner the very counterpart of the Golden Eagle, 

 as well as every other species endowed with no greater powers, and furnished 

 with wings and tails of similar size and form; although, of course, some 

 slight differences are to be observed in these different species, on all of which 

 I would willingly bestow the distinctive name of Swoopers. All these birds 

 are more or less indolent; one might say they are destitute of the power of 

 distinguishing themselves in any remarkable manner, and none of them shew 

 a propensity to remove to any great distance from the place of their birth, 

 unless, indeed, when very hard pressed either by want of food or by very 

 intense cold. 



The next group, which attracts the attention of the American ornithologist, 

 is that composed of such birds as are provided with longer and almost equally 

 broad wings, but assisted by more or less elongated and forked tails. Of 

 this kind are our Swallow-tailed Hawk, Falco furcatus; the Black-shouldered 

 Hawk, F. dispar; and the Mississippi Kite, F. Mississippiensis. These 

 species assume what I would call a flowing manner of flight, it being ex- 



