Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 51.djvu/615

Rh warblers, and the treetops are alive with these brilliantly colored little fellows, the marsh hawks follow them and rise and dip among the branches like swallows in a listless, careless manner, striking with their long legs at whatever bird happens to be nearest. They are very methodical in their way of hunting, and day after day follow the same course, flapping back to the nest whenever successful. They nest on the ground in a swamp or brier patch, and the young remain hidden about in the bushes, where they are fed by the parents for months after they are able to fly. All their cries are rather faint and hysterical, and they always seem to be somewhat weak-minded; still, they show considerable intelligence at times, and appear to distinguish between persons. I remember one pair that became quite friendly, and, when I visited their nest, would light near me or hover close over my head, even when I carried a gun; but a neighbor of mine, who accused them of stealing his chickens, complained that they would not come within gunshot, even when he thought himself well hidden. In color they vary from pale, bluish gray to dark brown above, and from white to chestnut red underneath, and are easily known by the large white patch on the back. They are abundant from the last of March to November.

For medium-sized hawks we have the peregrine falcon. Cooper's hawk, and the broad-winged hawk. The peregrine falcon is a rather uncommon bird. I occasionally see them in the spring, but not often. This is the falcon par excellence of the older writers, and is said to be the most dashingly courageous of all hawks.

The broad-winged hawk is also rare, but-less so than the last; he looks like a heavy, owlish fellow, with broad, rounded wings, and a short tail that seems to be inserted between them. He is usually seen in frosty October weather, and spends most of his time in the woods. Cooper's hawk, or the chicken hawk, is plentiful enough: a slender, compactly built bird, with a long tail, short wings, and fierce, yellow eyes, steely blue or rich brown on the back, and white-barred or streaked with reddish on the breast. He flies with tremendous swiftness, and doesn't seem afraid to tackle anything.