. Our northern and eastern birds [microform] : containing descriptions of the birds of the northern and eastern states and British provinces, together with a history of their habits, times of arrival and departure, their distribution, food, song, time of breeding, and a careful and accurate description of their nests and eggs ; with illustrations of many species of the birds and accurate figures of their eggs. Ornithology; Birds; Ornithologie; Oiseaux. 18 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. always, instead of clutching it as it falls, alights after it has fallen, in tlie same manner as the Great-footed Ha
. Our northern and eastern birds [microform] : containing descriptions of the birds of the northern and eastern states and British provinces, together with a history of their habits, times of arrival and departure, their distribution, food, song, time of breeding, and a careful and accurate description of their nests and eggs ; with illustrations of many species of the birds and accurate figures of their eggs. Ornithology; Birds; Ornithologie; Oiseaux. 18 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. always, instead of clutching it as it falls, alights after it has fallen, in tlie same manner as the Great-footed Hawk. I liavo noticed the same fact with the Red-tailed Hawk; the victim seems to fall dead, or, at any rate, perfectly incapable of motion: wl other this is the result of a kind of mesmer- ism, as it were, similar to the influence of the cats on their prey, or the hawk transfixes his quarry throiigh the vitals, 1 am unable to say. The Pigeon Hawk, in alighting on a branch or other object, always descends below the level of it, and rises up; and nsuiilly turns abruptly about, and fiices the direction from which it came, as soon as it has struck its perch. This habit is observal)le in many of the other hawks. "While perching, the tail is often flirted up and down, and the wings are partially opened and shut in a nervous manner, as if the bird were anxious to be off" again in the pursuit of game. It is not improbable that it breeds in New England, although I do not remember of an authenticaied instance. I have no egg of this bird in my collection, and have never met with its nest. There seems considerable confusion regarding this species, both as to its nesting-place and its eggs. Mr. Ilutchins says (" Fauna Boreali Americana," II. 80) it " makes its nest on rocks and in hollow trees, of sticks and grass, lined with feathers; laying from two to â four white eggs, marked wnth red ; Audubon, in describing the eggs, says (" Birds of America&qu
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1883
