304 
ACC1PITER COCPERI. 
that these Hawks seldom enter their favorite retreats in this headlong manner without 
meaning mischief; and they generally accomplish their object. A few quick turns, a tum¬ 
ble or two, during which the wings, tail, and long legs of the Hawk appear to be tangled 
together in an inextricable manner; he knows what he is about, however, for he quickly 
rights himself, emerges from the thicket, and the next moment, the feathers of the plucked 
Sparrow are floating in the wind. When we consider that scenes, such as I have described, 
are being repeated every day many thousand times, throughout the length and breadth of 
our continent, we can understand how destructive the Sharp-shinned Hawks must be to 
bird life. 
These small Hawks are very bold and will not hesitate to attack birds which are larg¬ 
er than themselves, and I once saw one strike down a fully grown Night Heron that chanced 
to be abroad by day. The Heron was flying from one island to another across some marsh¬ 
es, when the Hawk darted out of a neighboring wood and pounced upon him. The force 
of the shock was so great that the slowly moving Heron fell to the ground at once but, for¬ 
tunately for him, in falling, he gave vent to one of those discordant squarks which only a 
bird of this species is capable of uttering, and which so astonished and frightened the 
Hawk, that it completely forgot to take advantage of its prostrate prey, but darted away; 
while the Heron regained its feet, shook itself, and mounting in air, flew wildly into the 
nearest thicket. 
The Hawks and Kites of which I have been writing, are about neutral as regards the 
interests of man but the Sharp-shins are most decidedly a nuisance, not only on account 
of their propensity to destroy small birds but they are also extremely fond of young Chick¬ 
ens, Turkeys, etc., and will not hesitate to capture them whenever a suitable opportunity 
occurs. These destructive qualities are greatly augmented by the fact, that when they have 
once discovered a brood of Chickens, they will constantly forage upon them until the last 
one is gone, unless the farmer interferes with his gun. 
The Sharp-shinned Hawks breed rather late, usually about the first week in May in 
Massachusetts, placing the nest in the fork of a tree, often not twenty feet from the ground. 
The parents are not particularly solicitous for the safety of their eggs, merely alighting on 
some neighboring tree, where they silently watch the collector as he robs their nest. The 
young appear in due course and, after accompanying their parents a short time, disperse 
about the country. These Hawks usually migrate southward in winter but I have occa¬ 
sionally seen them as far north as Massachusetts during this season. 
ACCIPXTEB, COOPEXIX. 
Cooper’s Hawk. 
Falco Cooperi Bonn., Am. Orn., II; 1828, 1. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, large. Sternum, stout but rather narrow, with the marginal indentations not large. 
Tongue, quite fleshy, rounded and bifid at the tip. Tarsus and toes, short and stout, with the middle toe about equal in 
iength to the hind toe and claw. Coeca, present but very small. 
