30 Our Bird Friends. 



to kill Great Tits and Robins, and even to carry 

 off a newlj-hatched Pheasant. The sizes of these 

 victims testify to the bird's courage and prowess, 

 for it is Httle bigger than a House Sparrow. It 

 has a strong hooked beak, and some naturahsts are 

 of opinion that it impales its prey in order to pull 

 it to pieces with greater ease ; but I am inclined to 

 think that from the number of small victims such 

 as beetles I have met with, and the few large ones 

 such as mice and birds, that its real object is to 

 have a well-stocked larder. 



Birds of prey often come to grief whilst in piu-suit 

 of their victims. A Sparrowhawk chased a small bird 

 through a railway carriage window some years ago, 

 and, becoming entangled in the meshes of the hat 

 rack, was secured by a passenger sitting in the 

 compartment. 



The White-Tailed or Sea Eagle feeds upon iish 

 amono'st other thino-s, and sometimes, when warm 

 weather attracts such species as skate and halibut 

 to bask on the surface of the sea, he pounces upon 

 them and, burying his talons deeply in their backs, 

 is dragged under and drowned. 



Cormorants and Kingfishers occasionally attempt 

 to swallow^ captures too large for their throat capacity, 

 and are choked in consequence. 



Herons take up their stand on the edge of some 

 lake or stream, and when an eligible trout or eel 

 happens to pass near enough, the thing that looked 

 in all probability to them a mere old grey stump 



