191 7-] Nidification of some Indian Falconida. 359* 



also capable of great speed and activity, and I have seen it 

 actually hunt and capture the little Palm-roof Swift 

 [Tachornis infumatus). On the occasion in question, these 

 small Swifts were busy hawking up and down the Diyung 

 stream ; the heat of the day was past, and the insects of 

 which they were in pursuit were flying high over the tops 

 of the trees which forested the river on either side. For 

 some time they continued thus to hunt undisturbed, but 

 after a short time I saw a Sparrow-Hawk rush upivards into 

 the air from the top of a tall tree and strike at a passing 

 Swift. He failed, however, in his effort, and at once, 

 without attempting any pursuit, returned to his perch. In 

 a few minutes a second attempt was made with no better 

 result, but a third attempt was more successful, and the 

 fluttering, dodging little bird was seized and carried off 

 into the tree to be devoured at leisure. About twenty 

 minutes after this the Sparrow-Hawk was again on the 

 watch for prey, and this time attempted far higher game. 

 A few Spine-tails (^Chcetura nudipes) had joined the little 

 Swifts, and as one of them dashed past overhead the 

 Sparrow-Hawk rose at him, but by the time he had arrived 

 at the place where he thought the Spine-tail should have 

 been, this bird must have been at least two hundred yard* 

 away down the river. This was quite sufficient lesson for the 

 Hawk, who made no more attempts to strike the bigger 

 Swifts, but before I left the place to get back to my camp, 

 he had caught a second Palm-roof Swift and disposed 

 of it. 



I have never seen two pairs of these Sparrow-Hawks 

 breeding close to one another, and they probably keep 

 very jealously to their own areas for hunting purposes. 

 They return year after year to the same strip of forest 

 to breed, although they may not use the same nest or the 

 same tree, but once the breeding season is past, they range 

 over a very much wider extent of country and may be met 

 with a considerable distance from their own particular 

 breeding haunts. 



