82 



BLACK HAWK. 

 FALCO JVIGER. 

 [Plate LIII.— Fig. 1.] 



Pe ale's Museimf J\^o. 40 i. 



THIS and the other two figures on the same plate are reduced 

 from the large drawings, which were taken of the exact size of na- 

 ture, to one half their dimensions. 1 regret the necessity which 

 obliges me to contract the figures of these birds, by which much 

 of the grandeur of the originals is lost; particular attention, how- 

 ever has been paid in the reduction, to the accurate representation 

 of all their parts. 



This is a remarkably shy and wary bird, found most frequent- 

 ly along the marshy shores of our large rivers; feeds on mice, 

 frogs and moles; sails much, and sometimes at a great height; 

 has been seen to kill a duck on wing; sits by the side of the 

 marshes on a stake for an hour at a time, in an almost perpendi- 

 cular position, as if dozing; flies with great ease, and occasionally 

 with great swiftness, seldom flapping the wings ; seems particularly 

 fond of river shores, swamps and marshes; is most numerous with 

 us in winter, and but rarely seen in summer; is remarkable for 

 the great size of its eye, length of its wings, and shortness of its 

 toes. The breadth of its head is likewise uncommon. 



The Black Hawk is twenty-one inches long, and four feet two 

 inches in extent; bill bluish black; cere and sides of the mouth 

 orange yellow; feet the same; eye very large, iris bright hazel; 

 cartilage overhanging the eye, prominent, of a dull greenish co- 

 lor; general color above brown black, slightly dashed with dirty 

 white ; nape of the neck pure white under the surface; front white ; 



