THE BALD EAGLE.

and open; tarsus clothed with feathers or scaly; the toes, three before and one behind-the exterior toe commonly united to the adjacent one by a membrane; nails sharp, strongly hooked, movable and retractile; tail feathers, twelve.

This Genus embraces the Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, Kites and Buzzards, and is divided by modern Ornithologists into no less than ten genera; but we deem it unnecessary to give the distinctive characters of these genera in this work.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

the eagle and borne away to his nest. When this eagle cannot procure a sufficient supply of fish, which is its favorite food, it preys upon other birds, and small quadrupeds and reptiles. The nest of the Bald Eagle is built in the top of some lofty tree. It is constructed of sticks lined with coarse grass. The eggs, according to Audubon, are from two to four, and are of a dull white color. They are usually hatched in May, and require the aid of the parents in procuring food till September.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE. Falco chrysaetos.-LINN. DESCRIPTION.-Bill bluish gray at the base, black at the tip; cere yellow; eyebrows light blae; iris chestnut; fore part of the head, cheeks, throat and under parts, deep brown; hind head, posterior and lateral parts of the neck light brownish yellow, the shafts and concealed parts of the feathers deep brown. The back deep brown, glossy, with purplish reflections; wing coverts lighter; primary quills brownish black; the secondaries, with their coverts brown, those next the body more or less mottled with brownish white, excepting at the ends; edges of the wings at the flexure pale yellowish brown. Tail dark brown, lighter towards the base, with a few irregular whitish markings; tail long, slightly rounded. Wings long; 4th quill longest, and the 6 first abruptly cut out on the inner webs. Length 38 inches, spread of the wings feet; bill along the back 2 inches; edge of lower mandible 24; tarsus 44; middle toe and claw 4; hind claw 23. Extremities of the folded wings 1 inch short of that of the tail.-Audubon.

THE BALD EAGLE. Falco leucocephalus.-LINNEUS. DESCRIPTION.-Color of the body and wings deep lively brown or chocolate; head, upper part of the neck, tail and tail coverts clear white; bill, cere and feet yellow, with the soles of the feet rough and warty; iris light yellow. Length of the female 3 feet, spread of the wings 77 feet; male 2 or 3 inches shorter. The white of the head and tail is not clear till the third year, being previously blended with grayish brown.

HISTORY.-The Golden Eagle, though HISTORY.-The Bald Eagle is found in the northern parts of both continents, but rare, is occasionally seen in Vermont and is much more common on the western has sometimes been known to build its than on the eastern continent. It is nest and rear its young within the state. found in all parts of the United States, The nest is placed upon the inaccessible and is frequently seen in Vermont, but is shelf of some rugged precipice, and connot known to breed within the state. sists of a few sticks and weeds barely sufThis Eagle is the adopted emblem of our the rocks. The eggs are two or three in ficient to keep the eggs from rolling down country, but we should hesitate to acknowledge him to be the true representa- number, 34 inches long, of a dull white tive of our national character. He has color with undefined patches of brown. the reputation of being a free-booter, liv- These eagles feed upon young fawns, ing by robbing the fish hawk of his hon-hares, raccoons, wild turkies, partridges est gains. For this purpose he takes his and other quadrupeds and birds, but will stand upon some lofty tree growing near feed on putrid flesh, only when severely the shore, and when he sees the fish pressed by hunger. hawk rise from the water with his prey, he commences the pursuit, and the fish hawk, in order to effect his own escape, s compelled to abandon the fruit of his abor, which is immediately secured by

The following description is drawn from a specimen preserved in the museum of the College of Natural History of the University of Vermont.

THE BROAD-WINGED HAWK.

yond the third white bar on the tail; tail 8, reaching 2 beyond the folded wings. HISTORY-In Vermont this hawk passes, with several other species, under the general name of Hen Hawk, but is sometimes distinguished as the Red Hen Hawk. It confines itself more to the woods than several other species, where it may be seen flying among the trees, or sitting up. on a limb watching for the appearance of a squirrel, or some other small animal, upon which he may make a repast. This hawk breeds in Vermont. Its nest is about the size of the crow's nest. It is placed in the forked branch of a high tree, made of sticks,lined with moss. Its eggs, usually four or five in number, are laid in April. They are of a broad, oval form, granular on the outside, and of a light blue color, spotted towards the small end with reddish brown. Whenever their nests are approached, they manifest much uneasiness, and their Keé-oó becomes very loud and angry.

THE BROAD-WINGED HAWK.
Falco pennsylvanicus.—WILSON.

THE SLATE-COLORED HAWK.

eggs in different stages of enlargement, one of which appeared to be fully grown with shell quite hard and in a condition to be deposited in the nest. Its color was light sky-blue finely specked with brown towards one end, with a smooth surface. The nest of this hawk is about the size of the crow's, built in the top of a tree with sticks, and lined with grass, roots and moss.

THE SLATE-COLORED HAWK.

Falco fuscus.-GMELIN. DESCRIPTION.-Form slender; general color above reddish slate, the feathers being brown slate slightly edged with rufous; scapulars and upper tail coverts with large concealed white spots; wings obscurely barred with dark and light brown; tail with alternate bars of blackish brown and dark ash, five of each, the terminal bar being ash edged with white; chin, throat and belly yellowish white, with a line or brown stripe along the shafts of the feathers on the chin and throat, and large tear shaped reddish brown spots on DESCRIPTION.-General color of the the belly; thighs reddish, lighter on the head, back and wings above brown, tinged outside, with large hastate spots on the with buff on the neck; wings very faint-outside, making them appear barred; unly barred with black; tail short with three der tail coverts pure white; bars on the brownish white bars, and narrowly termi- under side of the wings and tail distinct; nated with the same. Breast brownish buff legs and feet yellow; claws black; bill spotted with white; belly, sides and fe- bluish black; cere greenish yellow; iris morals, white with the feathers thickly bright yellow. Length of each of two marked with large hastate spots of yellow-specimens before me 13.4 inches, spread ish brown; vent and under tail coverts of the wings 24 inches, folded wing 8, white with a few spots. A brown stripe tail 6.2, reaching 3.5 beyond the folded from the mouth towards the throat; bill wings, tarsus 2.5, bill along the ridge .6; bluish black, nostrils oval, head large and along the gap .8. flattened above; cere and legs yellow; legs short and strong; tarsus shielded with parallel scales; anterior outer toes slightly connected; space between the nostril and eye bristly; wings broad, the fourth quill longest; the three first abruptly notched on their inner webs. Length of the specimen before me, which is a female, 15 inches; spread of the wings 334.

HISTORY.-This hawk bears a considerable resemblance to the preceding; it is, however, though smaller, proportionally more thick and robust, less ferruginous, has a shorter tail, and is without the white marking on the exterior of the wings. The Broad-winged Hawk breeds in Vermont, and the specimen from which the above description was made, was shot, while building her nest, in Burlington, in April, 1840. Within her were found five

HISTORY. This hawk is very common in Vermont, and generally passes under the name of Pigeon Hawk. It is usually seen in our fields and pastures, flying very swiftly near the surface of the ground in search of its prey, which consists of small birds, mice and reptiles. It sometimes approaches our dwellings and carries off young chickens. This species is very widely diffused over our country, being found, according to Audubon, as far south as Texas, and according to Richardson as

far north as lat. 51. The nest of this

hawk is built sometimes in rocky cliffs
and sometimes on trees.
The eggs are
usually four or five in number, rounded
at both ends, of a livid white color, blotch-
ed with chocolate. This is the Sharp-
shinned Hawk, figured and described by
Audubon in his Birds of America, I—100,
plate 25.

THE LARGE-FOOTED HAWK. THE GOS-HAWK.-COOPER'S HAWK. THE MARSH HAWK.

THE LARGE-FOOTED HAWK.

Tail

Their ordinary food consists of young hares, squirrels, young geese, partridges, pigeons, and other smaller birds and quadrupeds. It builds its nest in the manner of the crow, in the central part of the top of a high tree. Its eggs, usually 3 or 4, are of a bluish white, marked and spotted with brown.

COOPER'S HAWK.

Falco Cooperi.-BONAP. DESCRIPTION.-Tail rounded; tarsi mod

Falco peregrinus.—GMEL. DESCRIPTION.-Head and hind neck grayish black, tinged with blue; the rest of the upper parts dark bluish gray, indistinctly barred with deep brown. Quills blackish brown, with elliptical reddish white spots on their inner webs. grayish brown, marked with about twelve bars. Throat and fore neck white; a broad band of blackish blue from the angle of the mouth downwards; sides, breast and thighs reddish white, trans-erately stout. Adult male, dull bluish versely marked with dark brown spots in gray above; the tail with four broad bands a longitudinal series; under wing feath- of blackish brown, and tipped with white; ers whitish, transversely barred. Bill upper part of the head grayish black; blackish blue at the tip, pale green at the lower parts transversely barred with light base; cere oil green; bare orbital space red and white; the throat white, longituorange; iris hazel; feet lemon yellow; dinally streaked Female similar, with the claws brownish black. Length 161⁄2 in.; | bands on the breast broader. Young, umspread of the wings 30 inches.-Audubon. ber brown above, more or less spotted HISTORY.-This hawk is common to with white; the tail with four blackish both the eastern and western continents. brown bars; lower parts white; each It is found in most parts of the United feather with a longitudinal, narrow, obStates, and, according to Audubon, has, long brown spot. Length, male 20 in., within a few years, become much more female 22,-spread 36, 38.-Aud. Legs common than formerly. I am not sure and feet yellow; cere greenish yellow; that any of this species have been taken iris bright yellow. Tail reaches 5 inches in Vermont, but, from their being com- beyond the folded wing.-Nuttall. mon in neighboring states, the probability of their existence here is so strong that I have thought it best to place it in my list. According to Nuttall it builds its nest in the most inaccessible clefts of rocks, and lays 3 or 4 eggs, which are of a reddish yellow color, spotted with brown.

THE GOS HAWK. Falco palumbarius.—LINN. DESCRIPTION.-Adult male, dark bluish gray above; the tail with four broad bands of blackish brown; the upper part of the head grayish black; a white band, with black lines, over the eyes; lower parts white, narrowly barred with gray, and longitudinally streaked with dark brown. Young, brown above; the feathers edged with reddish white; the head and hind neck pale red, streaked with blackish brown; the lower parts yellowish white, with oblong longitudinal dark brown spots. Length 24 inches; spread of the wings 47 -Audubon.

HISTORY.This is quite a common hawk in Vermont, and, with several others, passes under the general name of Hen Hawk. Nor is the name in this case inappropriate, since this hawk, more frequently perhaps than any other, bears off hens and chickens from the farm yard. This hawk breeds in this state, and its nest, according to Audubon, is usually placed in the forks of the branch of an oak, towards the top, and resembles that of the crow, being composed of crooked sticks, lined with grass and a few feathers. But that they do not build upon trees exclusively appears from the fact that a nest of this hawk, containing two eggs, was found, a few years ago, by George H. Peck, Esq., built upor. the ground, in Burlington. The eggs are usually 3 or 4, almost globular, large for the size of the bird, of a dull, white color, strongly granulated and rough.

THE MARSH HAWK. Falco cyaneus.-LINN. HISTORY. This hawk is rare in Ver- DESCRIPTION.-Color of the male blumont, but is sometimes met with in the ish gray; quill feathers white at their orinorthern part of the state. The Gos-gin, and black towards the extremities; Hawk in Europe is sometimes trained for falconry. Its disposition is very savage, and it is withal so much of a cannibal as sometimes to devour its own young.

internal base of the wings, rump, belly, sides, thighs, and beneath the tail, white, without spots; upper part of the tail cinereous gray, with ends of the feathers whi

THE RED-TAILED HAWK.

THE PIGEON HAWK.

Female, dir- | Tailed Hawk breeds in Vermont. Its nest is built in the fork of a lofty tree,and is composed of sticks, twigs, coarse grass and moss. The eggs are 4 or 5, of a dull white color, blotched with brown and black.

tish. Iris and feet yellow.
ty brown above, with the feathers border-
ed with rusty; beneath rusty yellow, with
large longitudinal brown spots; quills
banded exteriorly with dark brown and
black; interiorly with black and white;
rump white, with rusty spots; two mid-
dle tail feathers banded with blackish and
dark gray; lateral feathers banded with
yellowish red and blackish. Length 22
inches. Male 1 or 2 inches less. Young
very similar to the female.-Nuttall.

HISTORY.-This very common species of hawk is also known by the name of Hen Hawk and Hen Harrier. It is very widely diffused, being found in Europe, Africa, North and South America, and the West Indies. This hawk builds its nest upon the ground in swampy woods, or in marshes covered with sedge or reeds.

THE PIGEON HAWK.

Falco columbarius, LINN. DESCRIPTION.-Whole upper parts of a is crossed by five narrow whitish bars; deep dusky brown except the tail which beneath yellowish or reddish white, spotted and streaked with brown. The bill is of a light bluish gray, tipped with black; cere and skin round the eye greenish; iris deep hazel; legs yellow; claws black; feathers on the thighs remarkIt selects a spot a little elevated above the ably long. Female with the cere and legs surrounding marsh, and the nest is com-ish brown; the lower pale and spotted as greenish yellow; upper parts dark graypactly built of dry reeds and grass. The in the male. Young with the head redeggs are usually four, bluish white, and dish brown, streaked with dusky, in other sometimes sprinkled and marked with pale reddish brown. This hawk feeds up- of the male 11 inches, spread of the wings respects resembling the female. Length on partridges, plovers, and smaller birds, 23.-Nutt. Aud. and also upon lizards, frogs, and snakes.

THE RED-TAILED HAWK.

Falco borealis.-GMEL. DESCRIPTION.-General color dusky brown tinged with ferruginous above, beneath whitish with dark hastate spots; wings dusky, barred with blackish; tail rounded, extending 2 inches beyond the wings, of a bright brown or brick color, with a single band of black near the end and tipped with brownish white. Chin white, bill grayish black; iris, cere, sides of the mouth and legs yellow, breast somewhat rust colored; vent and femorals pale ochreous, the latter with a few heart shaped spots of brown. Length 20 to 22 inches, spread of the wings 45 inches.-Nuttall.

HISTORY.-The Pigeon Hawk is much less common than several other of the smaller species of hawk. Audubon informs us that this hawk breeds in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Labrador. The nests are usually placed upon the top of small firs with which those countries abound, at the height of 10 or 12 fect from the ground. They are built of sticks slightly lined with moss and feathers. The eggs are usually five, and are an inch and three quarters in length. Their ground color is a dull yellowish brown, thickly clouded with irregular blotches of dull dark reddish brown. This hawk is shy and watchful, seldom being seen out of the forests. It feeds upon small birds, mice and reptiles.

GENUS STRIX.

Generic Characters.-Beak compressed, bent from its origin; base surrounded by a cere, covered wholly, or in part, by stiff erect hairs; head large, inuch feathered; nostrils lateral, rounded, open, pierced in the anterior margin of concealed by hairs directed forwards; eyes very large; orbits surrounded by feathers; legs and feet feathered, frequently to the very claws; feet with three toes before and one behind,

the cere,

HISTORY.-The Red Tailed Hawk, according to Audubon, is a constant resident in all parts of the United States. This hawk feeds upon young hares and other small quadrupeds and birds. He is so strong and powerful as to be able to overcome and bear off doves, goslings and dunghill fowls, and his depredations upon the farmer's poultry yard are by no means of rare occurrence. And yet he is so shy and wary, that it is extremely difficult to approach near enough to shoot him with a gun, of the use of which he, like the This Genus embraces the Owl Family, and is erow, seems to have an intuitive know!- now divided by naturalists into no less than six edge. The best method of getting a shot genera. The owls are called nocturnal birds of at these wary birds in open land is to ap- prey, because they seek their prey chiefly by proach them on horseback. The Red-night. The pupil of the Owl's eye is so large

separate;

tated on their anterior border, the third longest. the exterior reversible; first quills den