HOBBY. 1,S5 



white, with longitudinal dark brown marking's ; the ti- 

 bial feathers and lower tail-coverts light yellowish-red. 

 Length 13 inches, extent of wings 28; wing from 

 flexnre 10|; tail 6; bill along the back J; tarsus 1-^, 

 middle toe and claw IJ. 



Habits. — The Hobby is not a permanent resident in 

 Britain, but leaves us towards the end of autumn, and 

 returns in April. 'Few individuals, it would appear, 

 visit the country, for the purpose of rearing their young, 

 and the species is probably confined to England, for I 

 have not been able to obtain a specimen in Scotland. 

 Its history, so far as can be learned from the notices of 

 authors, is this. Its flight is extremely rapid and pro- 

 tracted. It preys on larks, various small birds, sand- 

 pipers, quails, and even partridges, as well as on insects ; 

 is remarkable for courage and activity; and when hawk- 

 ing was employed as a pastime, was trained for the 

 chase. 



Propagation. — According to Montagu, it nestles in 

 a tree, or takes possession of the deserted nest of a 

 crow. The number of its eggs, he says, is usually four, 

 of a bluish-white, with olive-green, or yellowish -brown 

 blotches. Those which I have seen were broadly ellip- 

 tical, bluish-white blotched with greenish-brown ; one 

 of them 1/5 by lf|, the other 1/^ by lf|. 



Young. — The young birds have the upper parts 

 brownish-black, the tips and margins of all the feathers 

 yellowish-white ; the forehead yellowish-grey, and a 

 line of the same over the eyes. The quills are marked 



