266 GAME FALCON. 
but perhaps the most interesting and fruitful investigation will be 
tofollow still further the line of Mr. Edwards’ experiments, and 
study the proportion of chrysalides of each brood which retain 
their inmates until spring; noting every instance of: the partial 
retention of the chrysalis, to discover to what extent pupæ, appar- 
ently destined to hibernate, disclose the butterfly the same season ; 
and, further, to determine whether both Walshii and Telamonides 
are indifferently produced from any of the broods of the previous 
year. Mr. Meldola’s studies would lead us to conjecture that 
Walshii is gerierally produced from the later. broods of Marcellus, 
and Telamonides from the earlier broods of the same, and from 
‘Telamonides and Walshii; but Mr. Edwards’ experiments show 
that this is not invariably the case. The postures of the butter- 
fly have not been described. 
THE GAME FALCONS OF NEW ENGLAND. 
THE SPARROW HAWK. 
BY DR. WILLIAM WOOD. 
Sansa 
Tus beautiful little hawk has the peculiar markings of the true | 
* falcon, and is the smallest and handsomest of the family Falcon- 
ide. It is found all over the continent, and is said to be the mos 
numerous of the hawk family. While this no doubt is the fact, 
yet in New England it is not common. It is about as rare as the 
pigeon hawk, but not so irregular in its visitations. I have tT 
ceived only ten specimens in twenty years. Allen in his ornitho- 
logical notes on the birds of the Great Salt Lake Valley say% 
‘The sparrow hawk was by far the most numerous of the Falcon- 
ide. Thirty were seen in the air at one time near the mouth of 
Weber Cañon engaged in the capture of the ‘hateful’ grasshoppe" 
which everywhere filled the air and which seemed at this season 
to form the principal food of this and other birds.” In the south- 
ern states where it is very numerous it may be seen about the old 
fields, orchards and gardens, sitting erect on a fence, stake, mul- 
lein stalk, or a dead limb of a tree, watching for small birds, mice 
grasshoppers or beetles, upon which it chiefty subsists, seldom 
