286 SWAINSON’S BUZZARD. 
fierce birds, they lack the “snap” of the falcons and asturs; and 
I scarcely think they are smart enough to catch birds very often. 
I saw one make the attempt on a lark-bunting. The hawk poised 
in the air, at a height of about twenty yards, for fully a minut 
fell heavily with an awkward thrust of the talons—and missed 
the little bird slipped off badly scared no doubt, but unhurt, while 
the enemy flapped away sulkily, very likely to prowl around 
gopher-hole for his dinner, or take potluck at grasshoppers. 
procure gophers, mice and other small quadrupeds both by waitin 
patiently at the mouth of the holes, ready to claw out the unlucky 
- animals the moment they show their noses, and by sailing low ovi 
the ground to pick up such as they may find away from home 
But I question whether, after all, insects do not furnish their prin- 
cipal subsistence. Those that I shot after midsummer all had 
their craws stuffed with grasshoppers. These insects, which appe 
sometimes in almost inconceivable numbers, seem to be the nat- 
ural source of supply for a variety of animals. Wolves, foxes, 
badgers, and even the rodents, like gophers, supposed vegetarians 
come down to them. Sandhill cranes stalk over the prairie t0 
spear them by thousands. Wild-fowl waddle out of the r x 
pools to scoop them up; we may kill scores of sharp-tailed g 
in September, to find in every one of them a mass of grasshop, 
only leavened with a few grubs, beetles leaves, berries and 
tumn, and lazy withal. Unaccustomed to the presence of man in ; 
these regions, they may be approached with little difficult 
they perch on the trees, and often fly unwittingly within short 
When brought down winged they show no lack of spirit, and H 
be prudently dealt with, as their talons are very effective weapons 
nce, 
Changes of plumage with age affect more particularly the under pat 
ate | 
