
260 COOPER'S HAWK. 
COOPER'S HAWK. (Falco Cooperit.) 
PLATE X:—Fice. 1 
Philadelphia Museum, No. 403.—My Collection. 
ASTUR COOPERIT.—BONAPARTE ?* 
Falco Cooperii, Bonap. Synop. App. p. 433.— The Stanley Hawk, Falco Stanleii ? 
Aud. pl. 36, m. and f., Orn. Biog. i. p. 186. 
BuFFon complained of the difficulty of writing a history of 
birds, because he already knew eight hundred species, and 
supposed that there might actually exist fifteen hundred, or 
even, said he, venturing, as he thought, to the limit of proba- 
bility, two thousand! What then would be his embarrass-. 
ment at present, when nearly six thousand species are known, 
and fresh discoveries are daily augmenting the number ? 
rapidity, and, as it approached the turkey, I saw with great surprise 
that the latter paid little attention. Juno was on the point of seizing 
it, when she suddenly stopped, and turned her head towards me. I 
hastened to them, but you may easily conceive my surprise, when I saw 
my own favourite bird, and discovered that it had recognised the dog, 
and would not fly from it, although the sight of a strange dog would 
have caused it to run off at once.” 
I have more than once known the domestic turkey-cock drive the 
hen from her nest, sit upon the eggs until hatched, and perform all the 
duties to the young incumbent on the female, and never during the 
time allow her to approach. I once knew it take its place upon two 
addled eggs, which a hen had long persevered upon, and was at last suc- 
ceeded by the male, who kept his place for nearly a fortnight Ep. 
* We have the authority of the Prince of Musignano for considering 
the Stanley hawk of Audubon identical with Astwr Cooperii ; and from 
a comparison, as far as plates and descriptions will allow, they seem 
at all events very closely allied. The bird is comparatively rare. Mr 
Audubon observed them in Louisiana, and about the Falls of Niagara, 
and describes them as very bold and intrepid ; so much so, that one which 
had seized a cock in a farm-yard, was repeatedly forced to the ground 
before it could master its victim. 
We would recommend for perusal the manners of the genus Astur, 
as portrayed in this description. Any one who has witnessed the com- 
mon species of Europe will at once perceive the truth of the delinea- 
tion.—ED. 

