The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
The BROAD
w N E ID
III A w IL
A NATURAL HISTORY STUDY

cage, some six feet long. with a perch
running from end TO end. They did not
seem TO take their confinement in bad part,
though at times they became rather un-
easy, fitting from one end OF the perch
to the other, often skipping lightly over
each others backs in order TO do so. When
they were fed. they showed little fear.
taking from my hand mice, grasshoppers.
or raw beef, and usually carrying their
food up on the perch to devour IT, After
the manner OF hawks in general. they held
it firmly with one or both feet, and pulled
it to pieces with their hooked bills At all
times of the day they uttered their plain
tive whistles, which often half persuaded
me to give them their liberty before had
completed my observations. But / kept
them until the end of the month, and then
1 took them from their temporary prison
and tossed them into the air. one after
another. Two of them flew away, and I
saw neither of these again for several
weeks, when a local gunner brought in one
of them. limp and cold; he had shot 1t az
it sat quietly in tree-top. The third bird
refused to leave us. He sat in an apple
tree all the afternoon, and only toward
night did he fly off TO a patch OF wood
land about a quarter of a mile from the
house. Thence We could hear his pathetic
"Chee-e-e-e,'' which seemed to gently pro-
test against our unkindness in allowing him
to be hungry So my wife went out to the
wood with some food, and, sitting down
on fallen tree, whistled softly in imitation
of his own voice. In a moment he came
to her side. and. although ravenously hum
cry took the food as gently as a canary.
From that time he has been a source OF
continual pleasure. After being fed few
times in the wood, he soon learned to come
into the garden for his food, and now
whenever he is hungry he flies TO the roof
and calls to us. We try to respond at once,
and when we appear, he flies down upon
our hands or shoulders to eat whatever we
may have for him. At first he was quite
nervous, and If a stranger appeared, IL
he heard any unusual sound Of any kind,
he was off to the woods, to come back only
after much patient calling. But now, no
ordinary sight or sound alarms him. and,
although the quick turns of his head show
that nothing escapes him, he will not fly
away until he has finished his meal He
spends most Of his time at some distance
from the house, sit ting quietly in tree for
hours at a time. If we happen to want
him when he is away, 1t is only necessary
to whistle. An answering "Che-we-e-e-e"
tells us the summons has been heard, and
with series of whistles, sounding nearer
and nearer, he comes sailing gracefully
over the tree-tops to the roof of the house.
Then down he pitches to an outstretched
hand. and gently he takes whatever is
offered him Apparently he is satisfied
with the food which is given him. for
have not been able to observe that he
catches anything for himself.
How long he will stay with us it re-
mains to be seen, but / am inclined to think
that, with his contented, gentle disposition,
he will stay until the nesting season, unless
some gunner sees him On his roost, and
blows him to bits as a proof OF good
craftsmanship"