Canton, Mass.
1893 
July 6                                                                                 
  Clear and cooler with boisterous N. wind.
  A large party of us went to Balls' Hill this morning & 
spent the day there, dining in the cabin. I was too busily
occupied to see much of the bird but I noted a fine
adult male Marsh Hawk early in the afternoon. He attempted              
to beat the meadow opposite Balls' Hill but the Red - wings
turned out in force and quickly drove him from their
domain and out  over the woods to the South. I was surprised
at the burst of speed which he essayed to escape from
these tormentors.
[margin]Marsh Hawk 
mobbed by 
Red-wings[/margin]
  Once in 1890 and again in Connecticut last month I                           
saw a King bird pursue & overtake a Chimney swift. Less
remarkable but yet well worth noting was the pursuit of
a Robin by a King bird this morning. I was paddling in
towards our landing when the Robin came dashing through
the big white willow and made for the further side of
the river. The King bird was at least twenty feet in the
rear at first but although the Robin did his best he
was overtaken before he reached the middle of the stream
and suffered a pummeling before he could gain the
trees on the further bank. the King bird in fact dealt him
a dozen or more blows on the back of the head, the poor
Robin squealing the which as if he were in the clutches of a Hawk.
Whether  or no the Robin had done anything to merit
this chastisement I had no means of ascertaining.
It is evident that the Kingbird can, upon occasion,
fly more swiftly than any other of our small land
birds.
[margin]Kingbird
overtakes a
Robin on
fair flight[/margin[
  Startled a Duck which I took to be A. obscura from under                         
the maples opposite Holdens' Hill.
[margin]Black? Duck[/margin]