314
Concord, Mass.
1897.
Nov. 3
(No 2)
  It is notoriously difficult to make a good skin
of a Marsh Hawk. The chief trouble is with the
feathers of the fore neck which will not lie smoothly
or "cover" well unless the neck be wired and the
head arranged with the bill pointing straight upward
after the manner in which Owl skins are now
usually made. The explanation occurred to
me this morning as I was watching a Marsh Hawk
beating a meadow. I noticed that the bird
held his bill pointing straight downward the
whole time he was within range of my glass. On
reflection I remembered having observed the same
fact many times before but for the first time it
occurred to me that this position of the head &
neck must be the only natural and easy one for
a bird whose whole life, practically is spent skimming
low over fields and meadows with its eyes scanning
the ground directly beneath. When one comes to
think of it there are few birds that search
for food in this way and of these such as
I am familiar with viz. the Turkey & Black
Vultures and the Mississippi & Swallow-tailed Kites
have much the same way of carrying the
head as the Marsh Hawk while with the
Kites at least the skin must be made
after the manner above described in order
to get the feathers of the neck to lie
smoothly.
  I "squeaked up" the Marsh Hawk seen this
morning bringing it within short gun range
although I was well back from the meadow among
some dense young oaks.