THE RED-TAILED BUZZARD. 35 



to judge which way the giant of the forest will fall, and having ascertained 

 this, he redoubles his blows. The huge oak begins to tremble. Were it 

 permitted to speak, it might ask why it should suffer for the deeds of another; 

 but it is now seen slowly to incline, and soon after with an awful rustling 

 produced by all its broad arms, its branches, twigs and leaves, passing like 

 lightning through the air, the noble tree falls to the earth, and almost causes 

 it to shake. The work of revenge is now accomplished: the farmer seizes 

 the younglings, and carries them home, to be tormented by his children, 

 until death terminates their brief career. 



Notwithstanding the very common occurrence of such acts of retribution 

 between man and the Hawk, it would be difficult to visit a plantation in the 

 State of Louisiana, without observing at least a pair of this species hovering 

 about, more especially during the winter months. Early in February, they 

 begin to build their nest, which is usually placed within the forest, and on 

 the tallest and largest tree in the neighbourhood. The male and female are 

 busily engaged in carrying up dried sticks, and other materials, for eight or 

 ten days, during which time their cry is seldom heard. The nest is large, 

 and is fixed in the centre of a triply forked branch. It is of a flattish form, 

 constructed of sticks, and finished with slender twigs and coarse grasses or 

 Spanish moss. The female lays four or five eggs, of a dull white colour, 

 splatched with brown and black, with a very hard, smooth shell. The male 

 assists the female in incubating, but it is seldom that the one brings food to 

 the other while thus employed. 



I have seen one or two of these nests built in a large tree which had been 

 left standing in the middle of a field; but occurrences of this kind are rare, 

 on account of the great enmity shewn to this species by the farmers. The 

 young are abundantly supplied with food of various kinds, particularly grey 

 squirrels, which the parents procure while hunting in pairs, when nothing 

 can save the squirrel from their attacks excepting its retreat into the hole of 

 a tree; for should the animal be observed ascending the trunk or branch of a 

 tree by either of the Hawks, this one immediately plunges toward it, while 

 the other watches it from the air. The little animal, if placed against the 

 trunk, when it sees the Hawk coming towards it, makes swiftly for the 

 opposite side of the trunk, but is there immediately dived at by the other 

 Hawk, and now the murderous pair chase it so closely, that unless it imme- 

 diately finds a hole into which to retreat, it is caught in a few minutes, killed, 

 carried to the nest, torn in pieces, and distributed among the young Hawks. 

 Small hares, or, as we usually call them, rabbits, are also frequently caught, 

 and the depredations of the Red-tailed Hawks at this period are astonishing, 

 for they seem to kill every thing, fit for food, that comes in their way. 

 They are great destroyers of tame Pigeons, and woe to the Cock or Hen that 



