6 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



bold and unscrupulous. She will carry off chickens 

 from the farmyards, and young pheasants from the 

 edges of the coops, beneath the very eyes of the 

 watchers. But it is questionable if the damage 

 done by the smaller hawks amounts to any appre- 

 ciable sum. Their staple food consists of wild birds, 

 together with voles, mice and insects, and there is 

 a certain balance in Nature which they unquestion- 

 ably help to maintain. Selby states that he found 

 in one Sparrow-hawk's nest, containing five young 

 ones, one Lapwing, two Blackbirds, one Thrush, 

 and two Greenfinches — all species which are fairly 

 prolific and from which some toll may properly be 

 taken. 



The principle upon which Hawks select their 

 victims is by no means clear. One constantly sees 

 the Sparrow-hawk flying unostentatiously through 

 the woodlands, attended by quite a crowd of small 

 birds. They are actively mobbing him, almost 

 touching his wings at times, in their fleeting at- 

 tacks. If he were at all vindictive he might surely 

 strike one down, by a mere turn of his talons. But 

 he suffers all indignity patiently, and appears to 

 have no aim save to escape from their unwelcome 

 attentions. At another time, like a streak of light- 

 ning he strikes a passing bird, and, descending to 

 some branch, or other point of vantage, tears it to 

 shreds. 



Mr. Metcalfe has an interesting note upon this 

 species. He states that when the hen is sitting, 

 the male will bring birds which it has killed, leav- 

 ing ithem upon the ground near the nest, always 

 in one particular place. 



