I90 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



— treading air, so to speak — there being no slipping for- 

 ward, as has been erroneously stated. He keeps in this 

 position until he espies a mouse, when he closes his wings 

 and tail, and drops through the air like a stone. See, he 

 has got the marsh mouse, and is going to the wall to eat it, 

 as there is no post handy, for he prefers a decaying post. 



Or you may watch him on a windy day, when the marsh- 

 lands are ravished of all delicate harmonies of colour, and 

 everything is spotty and noisy. Then you will see his body 

 lies straight on the wind, his tail vanes are closed, and it 

 lies out straight behind him ; whilst his wings are spread, 

 merely oscillating sufficiently to keep his balance. He is 

 floating over his prey now, and he will either rise higher 

 in the aerial sea, or drop deeper, according to the growth 

 on the marsh or the light, for he must focus his pre}^ before 

 he seizes it. 



On these days of the breezy marshland he loves to 

 sport — as indeed do golden plover and peewits — mounting 

 up through the aerial sea, always facing the wind when he 

 begins to rise, starting from a spring-cushion, as it were, 

 and flying round in a spiral — but no mere erect spiral, but a 

 spiral that is always working to leeward. So you may watch 

 him mounting up, giving three or four quick flaps with his 

 wings as he ascends to windward ; for by the flapping is 

 gained impetus sufficient to carry him up the next incline 

 of the spiral, then out go his wings, and he turns on his 

 side, and up he goes for a considerable height, but always 

 well within sight. 



I never yet saw a kestrel " soar " straight up without moving 

 his wings, or go very far up into the blue, as has been 

 asserted, and I don't believe he does ; this, like many of the 

 late Richard Jefferies' natural history notes, is inaccurate. 



And you may watch him hawking over the marshlands. 

 If one old bandit meets another, either one will give up his 

 hovering ground and fly off", or else they will fight right 

 merrily with claw and beak; and if you disturb them they 



