Northern Observations of Inland Birds 209 



of the outhouses, and was on very good terms with every- 

 one — except a huge black stable cat. The hawk never 

 failed to attack that cat with the utmost fury immediately 

 on seeing it, at which the feline would retreat to the depths 

 of the stick heap, from the security of which to growl 

 deepest thunder. An old spaniel, on the other hand, was 

 regarded in the most friendly light. 



All went well with the hawk till it took to murdering 

 my brother's fantail pigeons, which were tame to the 

 border of stupidity, and at the same time the little bird 

 developed a strong dislike for a half-witted garden boy 

 we then had, and one day clawed him down the nose, 

 narrowly missing his eyes. It became evident that 

 Northamptonshire was not quite large enough for my pet, 

 and as I was visiting Scotland shortly after it w^as decided 

 by the household that a change of air would be good for 

 the hawk. So to Scotland it went, and in due course 

 passed into the hands of an old Highland carter, a notorious 

 character. For months it accompanied him on his 

 journeys, perching on the horse's harness, on the man's 

 shoulder, or on the cart as they travelled. The carter 

 was, I believe, very devoted to it, but growing older the 

 hawk developed yet another aversion — this time towards 

 domestic fowls, and became somewhat of a responsibihty 

 on this account. It was, in the end, killed by a game 

 cockerel. I never obtained the full facts as to just how 

 this final encounter came about, but I recollect that the 

 brief details had a decidedly alcoholic taint. 



A sparrow hawk which we had as a pet was a perfect 

 demon. It never became really tame, and was not so 

 congenial a pet as the kestrel. 



In most districts the sparrow hawk is now much rarer 

 than its smaller congener, for it has very little to recom- 

 mend it to man's mercy. Apart from the fact that it is 

 a larger and more formidable hawk than the kestrel, it 



