100 



BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



they mostly capture their prey alive, and kill it either by 



a stroke of the bill, or the pressure of their formidable 



feet. 



The osprey and erne, however, feed mainly on fish, which 



they plunge into the water to obtain. 



The medium-sized hawks kill small birds and mammals, 



such as spar- 

 rows, bunt- 

 ings, etc., also 

 rats, m i c e> 

 moles, voles, 

 etc., while 

 many of them 

 consume 

 quantities of 

 insects, such 

 as beetles, 

 moths, and 

 e s p e c i a 1 1 }' 

 cockchafers. 



Some of the 

 smallest of the 

 members of 

 the family 

 feed princi- 

 pally on in- 

 sects, and all 

 may be said 

 to be useful 

 birds, unless, 



of course, when, from some cause or other, their numbers 



increase out of due proportion. 



They are most bold and even audacious in their bearing, 



and few of them hesitate to attack animals as large as 



Fig. 'Sa.—T/ie Kite. 



