276 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



writers and experts that the Kestrel Hawk has no 

 destructive tendencies the following facts may be 

 interesting as well as instructive. When staying at 

 Arthog Hall Hotel in 1906 a report reached me 

 that a Kestrel had carried off some young Pheasant- 

 chicks belonging to a Colonel L., who resided at Ynys 

 Faig Hotel, Fairbourne, near Barmouth. At the 

 time I did not inquire any further into the matter. 

 Quite recently I wrote for full particulars, and the 

 Colonel very kindly sent me the following: "About 

 3.30 one morning in the middle of June, 1906, I 

 heard the hens making a great noise, and got up just 

 in time to see from my bedroom window a Kestrel 

 swoop and take a Pheasant-chick out of some rough 

 grass. I may say that my bedroom window over- 

 looks the ground whereon were five or six coops of 

 Pheasant-chicks — about 14 or 16 days old. Owing 

 to the heat the shutters of the coops were not closed 

 as usual. At about 5.30 a.m. either the same or 

 another Kestrel swooped down on another chick, 

 which it took off without my being able to get a shot 

 at it. On both these occasions I was so close to the 

 Hawk that no mistake is possible. The following 

 day Whittal (/.^., the keeper) tried to get a shot. 

 Again the Hawk took a chick, close to where he was 

 standing, but got away. Next morning Whittal shot 

 a Kestrel on the edo^e of the rearing- field. He 

 brought the bird to me ; it was a Kestrel. A couple 

 of days afterwards I shot a Kestrel about 200 yards 

 from the rearing field, since when we were not 

 further troubled." 



