A HAWK'S TACTICS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 26, 28 January 1878, Page 2

A HAWK'S TACTICS.

A correspondent of tho Hamilton Spectator, December 29, records the following incident:— Whilst riding along a lnno in tho noighbournood of Koonongwootong, last woek, Mr Archibald ymith, Ballochile, obsorvod a largo ouglohawk rising from tho ground with a snako from 4ft to sft long firmly.gruspod in its talons, which wore inserted in tho body of tho ' worm ' somo fovr inches bohind tho head, tho rest of its body somotimos pendant, and at other times convolvod, in vain endeavours to ontvrino tho bird of proy. Aftor soar* ing lo a sufficient pitch, tho hawk swooped down with groat volooity, skimming along within ft. fow foot of tho ground, dexterously dashing tho snake, in its flight, against tho top rail 'of tho lano fenco (evidently its object), and completely disorganising tho reptile, leaving it limp and powerless, Suoh was tho foroo of tho shook, or tho misoaloulition on tho part of tho 'fowl,' of tho ' fall' of tho tail, that it wns ' brought up with a round turn/ and mudo a oomploto aomersnult. Tho talons Hero so firmly cinbodHod in tho snako, I owevor, that with tho next dFort, it rose adequate to tho omergeuoy, and sailing oft' somo eighty or ono hundred yards, settled, and proocodod to banquot on its quairy. This occurred within sixty yards of Mr S nith, who witnessed tho proceedings. It must bo a matter of conjooturo whothor oaglos destroy proy of this description against horizontal tranohoJi, or whothor tho level lino of fencing suggested tho idea of utilizing it ftß a medium of destruction just ns hooded orows drop shell* fish, on rocks in order to disrupt tho xnolluso and facilitate oviscoration."