The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-16

their prey. From my ampllhed field notes
l have this description of the chase of
pigeon hawk GHalco Columbarus) after
a whitethroated sparrow.
"a pigeon hawk in pursuit OF q white
throat passed over the road Just in front
Of the horse VIC were driving. We stop
ped the horse Instantly. The sparrow was
leading It's pursuer about n yard. Neither
bird uttered sound 1t was the silence
Of death, and verify the white throat
seemed to be passing through the valley
OF tho shadow.
"In full flight they swept on for about
Thirty yards. Then the sparrow doubled
like hare. 1t passed down under the
! hawk az though 1t had turned somer-
snult and actually seemed to ny Tor
moment breast upward. The pursuer
used his wings and tail as brakes and
doubled with the white throat, but It LOST
about two yards distance. 1t gained
rapidly. however, and by the time the
middle OF the road was reached on me
return journey the sparrow was Leading
by narrow margin. az
I'm some manner the little fellow man
orcI Ia cludc Inc hawkes. talcns Extend
cd ready to strike, and to get Into tho
sbush-grown field on the right OF the road
There 1t doubled again. but me h a.S,
prepared for the mnnoeuvre, lost niue
distance in bringing up sharply and max
ing tho turn to follow In the white throat $
wake Hunter and hunted reached tho
field at the left once more, and there rs
head downward into tangled thlcket, OF
weeds. and briars;,, There it was safe, ana
the hawk knew 1t,
\ During the chase the hawk paid no
attention to the human observers, re.
moved only q few feet from the pnth of
its pursuit. Had 1t been n Cooper hawk
that had taken M tho chase the white
throat never again would nave sung It's
sweet H zApiN1plss s THAT SERVE MAN.
or the hawks which commonly suffer
AT mans hands for the sins of the rcln-
tives, the best known are the red-9houl,
dercd. the rcd-taled ard the broad W .gsd
hawks. They nre Conspicuous oDlecls as
they sail about far w agalnst the plue
BUSINESS that Is responsible for, their per-
secutlon. Tie villain accipiters hide, while
the comparatively harmless buteos sail
into plain View ana bear the burden OF
The oiticia's OF the biological survey
are hard at work trying TO devise means
70 nbute the plague Of prairie dogs, which
Gently, The red-,ailed aud his brother
hawks dearly love prairie dogs. The
iha anl, ana, ana the ranchman killed the
Mere saving their, chickens; The prairie
! dogs began TO multiply In the absence of
| Ia, NE h,n,"Hs; ana man found out once
more mat ne should not try 10 interfere
4
economy.
The three hawks named are as ,imid
IN lp 1aIH ways as their cousins accipiter
are coWaTdly Possessed Of weapons with
which they cnn kin an ordinary antago-
mist they VIII fee screaming before The
attack Of a purple martin, d hing bird,
q jay nr a crow,
BUFFETED BY A GROW,
moi long since ! saw huge red-tailed
hawk sitting on n fencepost at the Ger.
rer Of a Aeld. A crow was perched In a
tree overhead. Suddenly coryus shot
down and gave the red-tail n thulnp With
his wing and stroke with his bill. The
lnwk took the aftront with most unbo.
coming meekness. Had It a particle OF
spunk II could have Killed the crow but
the towards heart was undar rs featii-
crs
Time after time The crow returned 70
tempt al r wnf G 'se eone Inre tsef
| with .clumsily shifting It's position occa-
! sonally. 10 enable II to turn the other