Domestic Instincts of Birds. 405 



lessly over the trap. The male is not unfrequently caught 

 first ; and even when he has seen the female writhing in the 

 trap, he does not hesitate to follow her example. It is won- 

 derful, indeed, what effects love can work even in the stout 

 heart of a hawk. 



Many are the peculiarities to be observed in the three spe- 

 cies of sparrow-hawk which are indigenous in Germany, viz. 

 Nisus elegans, N. fringillarum, and N. peregrinus. Even 

 during the breeding season, the male perseveres in that stub- 

 born and insidious disposition which is peculiar to the sub- 

 genus, and which the female loses about that period. These 

 species show a boldness when near their eggs or young, which 

 is perfectly ridiculous. Instead of retreating when a man ap- 

 proaches the nest, they fly to meet him, perch before him in 

 the most open place, and will even sometimes make a rush at 

 the great enemy of all other creatures. On one occasion, a 

 female sparrow-hawk would have taken my cap from my head 

 if I had not parried her off with my gun. The male does not 

 act so openly. He supplies the female with food, as long as 

 she is sitting or warming the young ; but he proceeds in a 

 very secret manner in performing the business. It is difficult 

 to catch a glimpse of him when carrying food to his nest ; 

 and except at that time he is not to be seen at all. When 

 the female of other birds of prey has been scared from her 

 eyrie, and utters her anxious call, the male appears at once, 

 joins her in her lamentations, and is ready to do all in his 

 power to defend their progeny. The male of the sparrow- 

 hawk behaves in a very different way. Let the female call 

 ever so loudly and piteously, her mate will not make his ap- 

 pearance, at least so long as the young are not far advanced 

 in growth. I am able to bear full testimony to the truth of 

 this, having closely watched these birds near five different 

 nests. It is only when the young are become larger, and the 

 parents are obliged to make unusual exertions, that the male 

 shows himself uncommonly active. He is then heard scream- 

 ing about the eyrie, and seen carrying the prey to it. Four 

 young ones, when nearly fledged, require a daily allowance 

 of from sixteen to twenty small birds ; and one or the other 

 of the old birds arrives at the nest with food, at least once an 

 hour, in case the neighbourhood abounds in such young birds 

 as have lately left their nests; whereas before, the young were 

 fed only once in two hours. Nay, if the female have been 

 shot, the male makes double exertions, and will himself bring 

 from twelve to fifteen birds daily. In the last nest but one 

 on which I made my observations, the female was killed to- 

 wards night-fall, and one young bird left in the nest. About 



