BY H. K. BENNETT, ESQ. 165 



danger. I have frequently fired amongst them with a rifle, killing 

 three or four at a shot, and the others have not stirred." 



"As an instance of their sluggishness or stupidity I may mention 

 that I one day saw a black falcon — one of the swiftest and most 

 powerful of our falcons — dash into a number of them perched on a 

 dry pine-tree, close to the house, and clutch one in its sharp talons ] 

 both birds fell to the ground, and after struggling for a few minutes 

 the falcon rose heavily and flew off" with its prey ; the other hawks 

 sat perfectly still all through the performance. This went on for 

 several days, the falcon each time securing a victim. Noticing 

 that the falcon's visits occurred at about the same hour daily, I 

 determined to try and capture both the falcon and his prey. With 

 this object I secreted myself in some thick bushes close to the foot 

 of the tree on which the hawks sat. I had not long to wait, for 

 soon falcon and hawk came struggling down within a few feet of 

 where I was concealed, and I sprang out and caught one of the pre- 

 viously outstretched wings of the Falcon. So fierce was his clutch 

 that I had difiiculty in releasing the hawk, which, though severely 

 wounded, had sufiicient strength to make ofi". I cut the falcon's 

 wings and kept him in confinement for some time, but he was so 

 fierce and intractable that I got disgusted with him, and ended his 

 career." 



" I fancy these cases of one bird of prey attacking another with 

 the intention of feasting on him are very rare ; in all my wander- 

 ings I never saw but one other instance of the kind, and in that 

 case the aggressor was a peregrine falcon (1) and the bird attacked 

 a white-fronted owl (2) ; the latter, however, after a sharp tussle, 

 managed to free himself. But I am digressing, for which I 

 humbly crave pardon ; and will now return to the hawks. As I 

 have said, these birds would sit for the greater part of the day 

 motionless, but at a certain hour in the afternoon they simul- 

 taneously take wing, and by a series of graceful circles gradually 

 rise to a great height, until their white breasts became mere 

 specs in the blue sky. After gyrating about at that height for 



(1) Falco melanogenys, (2) Strix ddicatulus. 



