THE SHIKRA 71 



best a short road to despair. Naturalists learn to 

 recognise them as David's watchman recognised the 

 courier who brought tidings of the victory over 

 Absalom : ' His running is like the running of Ahi- 

 maaz the son of Zadok.' Every bird of prey has its 

 own character, some trick of flight, some peculiarity of 

 attitude when at rest, something in its figure and 

 proportions which serves to distinguish it decisively. 

 The sparrow-hawk (shikra) flies with a few rapid strokes 

 of the wings and then a gliding motion, and this, 

 together with its short, rounded wings and long tail, 

 distinguishes it from any other common bird of prey. 

 I learn of its presence oftener by the ear than the eye. 

 Its sharp, impatient double cry arrests attention among 

 all other bird- voices." 



The shikra has comparatively feeble claws, and so is 

 unable to tackle any large quarry. Birds of prey 

 strike with the claw, not with the beak, as some 

 artists would have us believe ; hence the size of the 

 claws of any particular bird of prey affords a safe 

 index of the magnitude of its quarry. The more 

 formidable the claw, the larger the prey. No matter 

 how large a raptorial bird be, if its claws are 

 small and feeble, it feeds either upon carrion or tiny 

 creatures. 



The shikra is said to live chiefly upon lizards ; but it 

 makes no bones about taking a sparrow or other small 

 bird, a mouse, or even a rat. In default of larger 

 game it does not despise grasshoppers, and, when the 

 termites swarm, it will make merry among these along 

 with the crows and kites. I once saw a shikra pounce 



