Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-06-15
DISAPPOINTED BIRDS OF PREY.
Instances of Defeat in Their Predatory At
tackS,

OtSAT OItN Ell DlHO0 VI = * u
Instances of Defeat in Their Predatory At
tacks.
Birds of prey occasionally meet with
victims that effectively resistsLheir at
tacks. An incident is recorded of an
owl meeting death in a peculiar man
ner. 1t had bounced upon q weasel
during its wanderings, and was at
tempting to carry it off in its usual
fashion, but the vicious little animal
fixed its teeth in the body of the bird
and robbed it of its life-blood as it was
on It's way to its nest. The owl was
found dead on the grass, with the per-
sistent little weasel still clinging to it.
A hunter tells of similar case which
came under his observation. He saw
an eagle soar into the air with its
prey in its talons. Watching it, he no.
ticed it rise steadily with a grace
full sweep, but suddenly reel, stagger,
and appear about to fall. Then. losing
its balance, it came rushing down to
the ground with folded wings The
hunter, hurrying to the spot to dis
cover what had happened, found a
wounded prairie-dog under the dead
body of the eagle, struggling vainly to
escape. The captive apinal had fas-
tened on the eagles throat and had
killed it.
1t is a well-known fact that small
birds will often attack birds of prey.
4 flock Of sparrows has been observed
attacking wounded hawk, and SO
vigorous was their onslaught that they
finally succeeded in killing it out
right. How the hawk had been
wounded in the first place we do not
know, but it is probable that the spar
rows were avenging themselves for the
death of a companion, their combined
efforts having deprived it of it's
strength of wing, and its weakened
condition then rendering it an easy
victim.
Though the heron is bird of great
size, it is by no means powerful, and
often falls victim to birds of prey,
sometimes of the smaller species. In
more cases than one its self-possession
has been the means of it's salvation, and
the welding of it's short, blunt wing
has often deprived it's would-be muir
derer of its prey.
A more ready plan has been adopted,
for sportsman tells of heron adroit-
ly darling aside its head, and, with a
quick motion of it's neck, impaling the
hawk on its spear-like beak, both birds
being brought to the ground by the
suddenness of the movement.
In this case the hawk was killed as
effectually as if stabbed with dagger,
while the heron was MANNED by the
fall. which was rendered more severe
by the weight of the hawk, still fixed
on it's beak.
The heron, in the old days of falcon
ry, was frequently observed to strike
backward with it's beak, often wound
ing the hawk or falcon, when fresh
bird would be sent up to complete the
capture.
A small species of hawk, something
equal to pigeon in size, and commonly
called the gos-hawk, has been observed
to attack an eagle. The agility and
sweep of quickness of the wing to-
gether, compared with the more sweep.
ing style of the king of birds, enables
it to execute a series of movements
rapidly with the wings which allows it
to battle the superior bird
Eagles are generally believed to be
very courageous. That they are not
always as is supposed is proved Oy
the following anecdote: A naturalist
tells of combat between ten
massachusetts and a white-tailed
eagle, in which the latter was thor
oughly vanquished, and was discov-
cred squatting down in shed, where
he had been drivensin hope of refuge
from the angry birds.
In England they have a hawk called
the merlin, a very small bird, but one
of the most fearless of all winged
creatures. But even this hawk has
been known to flee before the savage
attack of a field mouse. BOOSTERS have
also been known to drive away chicken
hawks.
Foxes often kill buzzards and the
smaller hawks that have been i'm
peeled to attack them through hunger.
They have mainly done this by drag
cling the birds through BRAN bles and
brushwood; for they usually have
their talons deeply in1bedded in their
intended victim. and are unable to let
them go.-Golden Days.