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HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



be captor. .Kestrels are very early risers, and are 

 busily employed procuring food almost as soon as 

 night rolls back her gloomy mantle and the wide 

 east is tinged with the rosy hues of the rising sun, 

 and pursue their vocations until it becomes dusk ; 

 and even then, long after the brilliant orb of 

 daylight has disappeai - ed in the far-away ruddy 

 west, and the soft twilight of a summer's even- 

 ing has overspread the country, they may be seen 

 lightly skimming over the surface of the earth in 

 search of food. As the compact body, great extent 

 of wing, and fan-like tail of the Kestrel indicate, it 

 has great command of itself in the air, making long 

 sweeps and elegant curves in the ethereal regions. 

 It is, indeed, a beautiful performance, and one we 

 all delight in witnessing on a fine, clear summer's 

 day, the Kestrel, quite at its ease, with nothing in 

 the blue sky above but itself; its movements so 

 unconstrained, and withal so replete with joyous- 

 ness, as it revels in the celestial atmosphere in perfect 

 harmony with the surrounding landscape. The 

 wings and tail are expanded, and seem scarcely to 

 move as their owner ascends and descends in grace- 

 ful curvets. Now it takes a longer and a higher 

 sweep than usual, and then, coming low, keeps on 

 circling, now here, now there. Suddenly it stops ! 

 Probably it caught a momentary glance of some 

 small animal ! No ! It again resumes its flight, 

 again it is wheeling majestically aloft ! It hovers 

 again ! What a beautiful object ! How pleasing are 

 its actions, as it "stands anchored," as if sus- 

 pended by some invisible cord from on high ! Its 

 head is turned a little on one side, its tail spread 

 out like a lady's fan ; it is watching with its keen 

 eye some small animal it intends to catch, probably 

 a field-mouse little aware of the fatal danger which 

 menaces it. In what fine style it comes down on 

 that unfortunate mouse, which it soon bears away in 

 its talons, to its craggy fastness in yon distant wood, 

 there to be torn to shreds by four or five hungry 

 young " Standgales." When the Kestrel is hovering, 

 its wings, although to the naked eye they do not 

 appear to move, are in a perpetual quiver. Suppose 

 the Kestrel be unsuccessful in one attempt, it repeats 

 its efforts, and so on, until it reaches "home." 

 But there is not a field, valley, pasture, or any place 

 at all likely to furnish it with food, which it passes 

 without a strict search. The beauty, smoothness, 

 and facility with which all these evolutions are 

 executed are beyond the power of the pen to 

 adequately describe. No ! You must go and search 

 for it amidst its haunts, and watch it in its re- 

 treats, before you can fully appreciate the character 

 of this bird. Sometimes we can just discern it like 

 a mere speck on the horizon winging his way slowly 

 under the clear, blue canopy of heaven. At other 

 times it moves along at an immense height until it 

 disappears beyond the verge of the distant horizon. 

 In fact, on the wing, this bird appears indefatigable. 



What would be the value of scenery were it not 

 enhanced by the presence of birds ? How dreary and 

 desolate, how desert-like would be the vast expanse 

 of heather-covered moors without the hoarse cackle 

 of the Red Grouse (Tetrao Scotictis vel Britannicus) 

 or the Curlew's {Numenius arquata) solitary cry ! 

 What would be the aspect of our woods were we not 

 in Spring-time, and, indeed, throughout the Summer 

 months, to see the Kestrel hovering over its leafy 

 bowers ; or what of such diversified scenery as is to be 



J met with in and about the " Peak district," were 

 we not to meet with the "Standgale" amidst its 

 fastnesses ; or of the lakes, were not the still solitudes 

 to be awakened by the plash of the water as the Coot 

 {Fulica atra) or Moorhen, startled by the intruder's 

 presence, dashes away to gain shelter among the 



j many islets which dot its surface ; or the shrill piping 



1 whistle of the Sandpiper (Totaiius hypoleiichos) as it 



■ hastily wings its way across the watery expanse, to 



some other part ? Were the world to be deprived of 



birds, it would lose one of its most powerful charms. 



Migration. — We have now arrived at the most 



interesting, but, at the same time, vexing portion of 



'■ the history of this bird, viz., its migration. Does 



• the Kestrel migrate wholly or partially from Britain ? 

 or does it merely move to other localities in our 



j island more congenial to its habits? I have been 

 much interested in this question, and have studied it 



I deeply, — at least, as regards the immediate vicinity 

 of Sheffield. It has proved a most interesting study. 

 We all know what a distinctive feature are the elegant 

 aerial evolutions of this bird in our summer scenery, 

 and how blank seems the wood which is not in- 

 habited, or, at the least, its neighbourhood frequented, 

 by a pair, or more, of these beautiful little falcons. 



i After the breeding season, when the young have been 

 reared and are able to fly, we see them very often 

 hovering over the waving golden corn-fields, or other- 

 wise engaged in search for food. Then, after a brief 

 interval, they suddenly disappear without any warn- 



\ ing, and we do not again see them until their appear- 

 ance in early spring. The period of departure, of 

 migration, varies, according as the weather regulates. 

 If winter sets in early, they "go away" about the 

 latter end of September, but if the season be fine and 

 open, they may prolong their stay until the earlier 

 portion of October, and by the end of that month not 

 one is to be seen. Whither are they gone ? Happily 

 the days have gone by when people were deluded by 

 the supposed fact of birds hiding in holes, and there 

 remaining in a dormant condition until spring's 

 verdant call awoke them. There is but one con- 

 clusion. It was Charles Waterton's opinion that the 

 majority of these birds migrate to other more 

 southern countries, leaving here, according to his 

 observations, about October. He had excellent 

 opportunities for the observance of their habits, and 

 yet lie never saw them in winter after their final 

 departure. Certain it is that we see but very, very 



