Northern Observations of Inland Birds 207 



fortunately keepers and those interested in agriculture do 

 not see eye to eye in these matters. The kestrel is, of 

 course, among the farmer's best friends, but the keeper 

 does not stand to profit by its existence, whereas he may 

 lose. Therefore he takes no risks, and treats the kestrel 

 just as he treats any other formidably armed bird or beast 

 of prey. 



Admitted that the kestrel does more good than any 

 other hawk we have, admitted, moreover, that it does not 

 commonly share the sparrow hawk's propensity for 

 visiting rearing pens, I would, from the point of view 

 of a game preserver, prefer to see merlins abundant than 

 kestrels. I believe that the latter, being more essentially 

 ground hunters (that is, mouse hunters) are much more 

 likely to lift newly-hatched chicks than is the merlin — a 

 belief which is to some extent backed by observation, 

 though the latter are so scanty that I feel it hardly fair to 

 the kestrel to give it. At all events it should be added 

 that what little harm is done by occasional kestrels 

 during one month in the year, is very generously offset by 

 the enormous amount of good done by the whole race 

 the season through. 



The behaviour of birds and animals during keen frost 

 is no criterion as to their general habits. One must 

 make allowances at such times. Otters, dependent upon 

 rapidly flowing trout streams, have been known to raid 

 village hen houses during severe cold snaps, while during 

 severe winters merlins are known to feed on mountain 

 hares, though how on earth they manage to kill or disable 

 the hares before the strong animals sixteen or seventeen 

 times their weight gain shelter is a matter of mystery. 

 I repeat, the behaviour of carnivorous birds and beasts 

 during times of great stress is apt to become exceptional, 

 and should not be used as evidence against them. 



Some years ago I was duck shooting one severe winter's 



