The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-26
WONDERFUL ENEsIGHT.
Optical Power Of the Bird of Prey
Marvellous Thing.

Los Angeles Times: 1t is con-
tended that the eye Of the bird OF
prey is the most perfect organ or
sight that exists. Most marvellous OF
all is the sight that enables the owl
to strike the mouse in the darkness
or to pursue and capture the Dat,
which we can scarcely see even In
the early twilight.
The talons of certain Of the larger
birds Of prey are extremely strong.
The feet of the osprey make an eX-
cellent fish trap, one from which no
fish can escape when once caught.
The great curved talons of the
eagle are most effective, and are
certainly stronger than those OF all
ether birds. When they once close
on an object the clutch is so tight
that 1t can scarcely be loosened I'M
less the birds leg be severed. The
strong claws are not only used IN
catching food, but are used also In
carrying nesting material.
| II, instead of catching its prey, q
species of bird Is accustomed to feed
on carrion, this change Is clearly re-
| Elected in the weaker muscles OF the
feet and in the shorter and dulier
claws.
4
buzzards have an unusual sense OF
smell that guides them over miles or
i territory in search Of food. but many
years ago it was proved that sight Is
| the principal factor in guiding the
| bird of prey.
! Audubon made careful experiments
with a black vulture. The dry, stun.
ed skin OF deer which he placed
out in the field soon attracted
vulture. Although there was no
/ smell Of flesh and nothing eatable
about it, the bird lit and began tug
ging at the dry skin. Later, when
| the same bird circled over the field
7, It espied a small snake not thicker
/ than a mans finger and pounced up
on it.
| In another case the decayed car
cass Of hog was covered with brush
so that 1t was invisible. It remained
undiscovered by the vultures that
frequently passed over the place by
accident, although the stencil was
very strong.
The sparrow hawk Is perhaps the
ranged through the entire country.
Contrary to what the name might
signify, the bird lived almost ex-
clusively on insects, except where
such food is difficult to obtain.
Upon the treeless plains and hills
throughout the west it is a common
sight to see these little falcons
beating along over the waste. fire.
quently swerving upward In flight
and coming to dead stop, as they
hang suspended in the air with rapid
wing beats, looking for prey. In
localities where grasshoppers are
abundant, these hawks will congre
gate and gorge themselves contfnu-
ally.
The red-tailed hawk is often call:
ed the chicken hawk, but It does not
deserve the name. Many OF the
hawks bear undeserved regulations.
In regions and in seasons when
animal and insect food is scarce, the
red tailed hawk will catch chickens
and game birds, but 1t lives mostly
on mice and shrews as well as frogs,
snakes, lizards, and insects Of various
kinds. In a prairie and hilly country,
almost its entire food is squirrels,
gophers, meadow mice and rabbits
A fish, as seen by one looking down
into the water from above, is very
deceptive owing to the refracted light.
When the fish seems to be foot I'M
der the surface It is often In reality
three or four feet beneath. But the
osprey, lowering over on poised wing.
drops like plummet, often complete
ly disappearing below the surface.
and in spite of the rapidity With
which a fish can move, this bird Is
generally successful in capturing 1t.
In the mountainous regions one
may occasionally see the golden eagle
hunting for its prey. During one sum-
mer a party made several visits to
the aerie Of one of these big birds
and found that a very large proper
ton of the eagles food supply con-
sisted of ground squirrels with an