The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-06-13
DISAPPOINTED BIRDS OF PREY.
Instances os Defeat In Their Predatory At | tacks.

Instances os Defeat In Their Predatory At tacks.
 Birds of prey occasionally meet with victims that effectively resistSheir at tacks. An incident is recorded of an owl meeting death in peculiar man. ner. It had bounced upon weasel during its wanderings, and was at tempting to carry it of in its usual fashion, but the vicious little animal fixed its teeth in the body of the bird and robbed it of it's life-blood as it was on it's way to it's nest. The owl was found dead on the grass, with the per l sistent little weasel still clinging to 1t.
 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 grace. ful sweep, but suddenly reel, stsgger, 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 wounded prairie-dog under the dead body of the eagle, struggling vainly to escape. The captive animal had fas- tened on the eagles throat and had killed it.
 It is well-known fact that small birds will often attack birds of prey. A 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, out it is probable that the spar rows were averaging themselves for the death of a companion, their combined efforts having deprived it of its 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 it's self-possession has been the means of it's salvation, and the wielding of its short, blunt wing has often deprived its would-be mur- derer of it's prey.
 A more ready plan has been adopted, for sportsman tells of a heron adroit- ly darting 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
 F.- l.. Al. 1. 1..l effectually as if stabbed with dagger, while the heron was maimed 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 ", was frequently observed to strike backward with its 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 il
 to baffle the superior bird.
 Eagles are generally believed to be very courageous. That they are moi always as is supposed is proved by the following anecdote: A naturalist tells of a combat between ter missel-t -thrushes and a white-tailed eagle, in which the later was thor oughly vanquished, and was discov cred squatting down in shed, where , he had been driven in hope of refuge from the angry birds.
 In England they have hawk called the merlin, very small bird, but 'ons !, of the most fearless of all winged creatures. But even this hawk has been known to flee before the savage attack of field mouse Boosters have also been known to drive away chicker
 hawks.
 Foxes often kill buzzards and the smaller hawks that have been i'm peled to attack them through hunger. They have mainly done this by drag
 ging the birds through brambles and ' brushwood; for they usually have their talons deeply imbedded in theil
 intended victim, and are unable to lei them go.-Golden Days.
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