DEVELOPMENT OF A YOUNG KESTREL. 303 



on prey from a height of about thirty feet at the age of 

 forty-three days. 



I have elsewhere referred to the fact that the Kestrel 

 captured beetles, and these with worms formed its food 

 when first I stopped feeding it regularly. When captured 

 the beetle was held in one foot and the head nipped off, 

 the wing-cases being then removed and sometimes eaten, 

 and the body following last. Worms were simply held 

 while being pulled into pieces small enough to swallow 

 conveniently. When not hungry the bird frequently 

 played with its prey like a kitten, tapping it with its 

 clenched foot, running round it as it crawled away, and 

 jerking the head back, exactly as does the domestic cat. 

 When beetles or worms were not forthcoming, a stone 

 or piece of wood served its purpose equally well. 



The Kestrel always showed great interest in birds of 

 all species, and especially Swallows and Martins ; it made 

 several unsuccessful attempts to capture these, but 

 apparently concluding that they were too quick, it turned 

 its attention to birds of less powerful flight, and at the 

 age of forty-nine days succeeded in killing two — a Robin 

 and a Warbler. From this age it fed itself entirely, and 

 eventually disappeared on August 12th, being then fifty- 

 four days old. 



