The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-21
TALK ABOUT HAWKS.
THESE FIERCE BUT GRACEFUL BIRDS
AND THEIR PREY.
In the Middle Ages Species Of Hawk
Called "Nohle Falcons" Were Trained
Hunters-The Several Kinds and Their
Methods of Attack-Can Catch Ducks.


Hunters-The Several Kinds and Their .
Methods of Attsck-Can Catch Ducks.
Back in the middle ages, before the dis
coyery of gunpowdcr, hunting with the
aid of the falcon was as common as 1t now
is with guns and dogs The bird fanciers
Of those days named certain group OF
hawks the mobile falcons" These COM
prisod the long winged hawks, which take
their quarry while il is In motion, never
approaching il stealthily, but always max
ing their presence known by flying aloft,
while watching for a chance To sweep
downward upon the prey.
TO the naturalist there are few sights OF
more absorbing interest than To watch one
of these noble falcons while pursuing
| chosen victim Yet il is anything but an
! easy task TO keep an eye upon II, III case
| il extCnGs its search for meal over "a large
extent OF country, IT, however, the falcon
Is hunting through an open valley, the
naturalist, mounted on IA tall tree or build
inc has Il favorable opportunity to watch |
IL. especially If aided by IA powerful field |
glass Every motion of the bird may thus /,
be seen to advantage, except perhaps It's
sudden downward dash when its quarry Is
discovered.
The smallest of our winged fauna, the
tiny "dcky birds, - as our English friends
call them, the sparrows, wrens ana tiny
dy catchcrs, dread the handsome and active
sparrow hawk as their most inveterate zoe
Almost thrushlike in size, color ana easy
hight-whCn not in IA hurry-this snaiiest
of the noble falcons il not easily detected
. until seen ut close quarters, but he Is III
most as sure of his victim as are his larger
. relatives.
, The pigeon hawk, IA size larger than the
sparrow hawk, is equally swift feroclous
: and death dealing. still more DREADED
: perhaps by the smaller birds is the sharp
Skinned hawk. Its larger cousin, the coop
er's hawk, is an active hunter of more siZ-
able prey, such as the wild ana tame
piueons half grown barnyard fowls, doves
quails and grouse.
There is really little chance TO escape
& from the onset of these two formidable
e hunters. Like Il swift winged fate, they
( seldom come but to kill and the anxious
> mother bird knows not which of her Hook
RS will M, taken. These hawks, when not
n. noising aloft, fly silently through TN.
IS woods. or low over the open helds aho
er thickets,. and their presence is seldom sus
ne pccted until they are right upon their prey
x Tben comes n swift stroke a clutch of TIT
IT. LONG keen talons. and the kill is as In
Az Simultaneous as that of II rifle bullet.
ed As the undsputcd leader of the nom
en- falcons the very prince oil these ropp'
he barons of the air, we may name the Fer'
he crime falcon, better known Ill our eouh,r
IT ms the duck hawk. This dreaueu nuh''
to- sights flock or II single blru, hylhe
bigb os to preclude its possible return |
the ground before he can reach It, lie the
actually flies downward, adding the tn
= of IN
to of gravity and thus attaining spee9 'h'
llY the eve can barely follow.
rst As he ncars the earth he sets his WING
the and without checking his speed, alters
ac- n short curve the direction OF his mig
70 from the vertical to the horizontal IN
for sweeping along parallel To the earth, WI
let. II succd that the observer COM arcs WI
sh flat of Il cannon ball. he OVcrtakes inc
eWs fatrd ducl,-itsolf one of the swiitest
got 0irrs--nnd. with one stroke of its terrh
ing tnlons. deals the raralyzing blow.
'ket Ii the duck falls in the water, the nav
fish unless unusually hungry, seldom cares
how regain it, if on land, he dtscehuS W
held rcrast. feeding only ON certain choicc il.
cells, and leaving the rest To less iIS'
ions appetite Indeed most Oh tic law
eat only certain portions oil thoir ~
aud ,nd rs n rulc. these are by no means Il
rail- tidbits ,11o
mas go The dcuartmcut of agriculture
ans Washington. through the labors oil the
Nc .c,,crs attached To the division 81 orniCl
)eals oov and mammalo2y, has maze soi'o
3 for tercsting reports. Among the cohle,
q by falcons stomachs have been iouhu 'no
cent mains of uuais, snipCs, woodcoch, sr"
ducks. various finchcs, ana eNch--'ho
the T., r.rc instnnccs-swullows ana sWl
1 Al ,,'itb NOW and then king birds ANA pu
) ON martins. -, I'm.
dur Tbst these two last mcntloneu' kh'
m of nc exceutionally swift iliers ana llNt''
ssion hawk fighters should fall the Nic'in
lines hawks may be accounted Tor Only u.
ounce of two ways--thcy were cltlicr SUI
Is all while at rest by the sudden uaSn VI
iheds falcon or they were taken WV" w. y"
every before they had ATTAINED lui' Fo"o
0igbt No hawk or eagle, however
zinc could overtakc in full iilght
-, dartCrs as the sWaiio"' ''''
'pSol' or the king bird ,ig,
coun- mo hawks proper, forming dll'
cord -, fr,,,, the falcons, are Tor the
IN u,rt shorter winged and therefore -
'spllal and more clumsy. These lhClu"O -,
insane toil the broad winged, the rcu Snp ,',,
george ,fnson'e bnvk and others Inc
boss. ,o1Jo,, ,,,icl, enough To capture pir'
one Of ,,.o,, r,ire and must content thcins
II TINS mainly with snakes, toaus anu 'it
active of the lizards, together VIII
I.raor insects and spiders No VI
British group ma! " i,oS,k and the j
orning reinarhn NV, - Is an especially
n the hawk nv NV IN capture its
present pliu' aS ~ ,hicev of field mice, pl
naval winch oo ''', -, at limos. wild ducks
81 Erank Aaron i'm Philadelphia Times
? Nar FRANK N''''' CO.
- tAs ,;,.s blessing.
81 aye Wss''"s >o,,,
A bouse in William street Nov