404 Observations on the 



eggs are similar to those of the Falco Tinnunculus. It is, 

 therefore, impossible for me to say how the male behaves to 

 his progeny. With the genus, (Elanns Sav.), we are still 

 less acquainted. We have, however, interesting information 

 respecting the peculiarities of the hawks belonging to the sub- 

 genus Astur. 



The male of the species Astur palumbarius, A. gallinarius, 

 and A. brachyorhynchos, appears to be altogether changed in 

 disposition during the breeding season. At other times he is 

 an unsociable, fierce and wary bird, evincing no affection for 

 his congeners, but great hatred against the Strix Bubo. — 

 During the breeding season he is quite changed. He joins 

 his former mate, which may be concluded to be the case from 

 the circumstance of the eyrie being always built in the old 

 place),* and becomes extremely tender and attentive to her. 

 Though the male is but half the size of the female, he sup- 

 plies her with food while she is sitting, and assists her in 

 rearing the young. At that time a pair of hawks becomes a 

 real nuisance to the neighbourhood. The philoprogenitive- 

 ness of the little male renders him bold and fearless to an as- 

 tonishing degree. He catches the squirrel, without caring 

 for its bites and scratches; he kills the well-armed jay; takes 

 the sitting partridge from her nest ; destroys young hares ; 

 and steals the young of the Falco Nisus and F. Tinnimcu- 

 lus I He takes the Anas crecca and A. circia from the pond, 

 as well as the pigeon from the roof and the hen from the yard. 

 Though so extremely wary at other times, he will feed his 

 young in the presence of man, and is not even afraid of the 

 iron trap which is set to catch him. Because the bird is so 

 very injurious, the game-keepers are proportionably eager to 

 destroy it. They take the young from the nest, bind them 

 fast in the back part of a little hut or passage, which they 

 construct of bark or branches, and set an iron trap before it. 

 With the genus Buteo, the species of which are likewise very 

 fond of their young, this method of catching the old ones does 

 not always succeed ; but with Astur it never fails. As soon 

 as the young are heard calling, the old ones will alight with 

 the prey, and one after the other is caught, as they walk fear- 



* Though the translator would not invalidate Mr. Brehm's statement, 

 taking into consideration the general habit of birds of prey to remain faith- 

 ful to their former connexions, yet he must think that the reason given 

 above does not prove anything as to the point in question. For the predi- 

 lection of certain species of birds of prey, and many others, for certain breed- 

 ing places is such, that the latter are always occupied by other couples, how- 

 ever often their predecessors may have been killed, or they themselves de- 

 prived of their young. 



