28 THF, IIERRTNO GUU,. 



transplanting, and never failed to pick up every creeping thing which was 

 turned up during the operation. He was particularly shy when strangers were 

 present, and never in one instance would permit any familiarity, excepting 

 with a small rough Scotch Terrier belonging to this gentleman, to which he 

 was particularly attached; for after pulling her by the tail, (which she never 

 appeared to relish,) he would make up the matter by picking from off her 

 rough mouth any particles of food which he found adhering there. He was 

 exceedingly playful, and appeared to enjoy himself amazingly by throwing up 

 into the air any small bones or pieces of wood which he had fallen in with, 

 and always exhibited the greatest terror of either them, or any other object 

 coming in contact with his legs. 



At the end of twelve months his plumage corresponded with that of other 

 young birds, and when he was two years old the change was very trifling. 

 At this period, however, he acquired a taste for Sparrows, and scarcely a day 

 passed on which he did not regale himself with four or five of them. His 

 system of catching them was this: — He was upon the best terms with a 

 number of Pigeons which this gentleman had, and as the Sparrows fed along 

 with them, he mixed in the group, and by stoojnng assumed as much as 

 possible their appearance, and then set at the Sparrow as a pointer dog 

 would do his game; the next instant he had his prey by the back, and 

 swallowed it without giving it time to shut its eyes. The sporting season 

 began with him about the middle of July, as the young birds were leaving 

 their nests; and as numbers of them were produced in Mr. Kemp's garden, 

 and others came to practise there, they found it very slippery ground; for the 

 enemy was upon them in a moment. 



At the expiration of three years his plumage was assuming a lighter shade, 

 although the gray feathers on the under part of his body were quite apparent. 

 He pursued his old system of snatching and swallowing with great success; 

 and arrived at so much perfection in the art, that he caught his prey often 

 while flying past, and occasionally sprang from the ground, and struck a bird 

 down with his wing, which he had no difficulty in afterwards capturing. 



On one occasion while standing near a pump well in the garden he pounced 

 upon a Eat, which had come there for the purpose of drinking; it squeaked 

 on being caught, and Mr. Kemp, who was standing close by, looked immedi- 

 ately around, and had scarcely time to see it suddenly disappear head fore- 

 most, a rule which he strictly observed, with both the living and the dead; 

 for many Thrushes, Finches, and Wagtails I supplied him with. Mr. Kemp 

 has little doubt, but many Eats were surprised in the same manner, as he 

 frequently observed ^^Snow" sneaking about the well. 



His appearance during the act of running down the young birds amongst the 

 bushes, was very animated: his neck was extended, his eye sparkled, and his 

 body appeared compressed to half its usual size, which rendered his expression 

 very different from the doz^-like appearance which he assumed while watching 

 Eats and old Sparrows. 



