36 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



[vol. X. 



wriggle from under the weight (Fig. 7). The amount of 

 time spent in brooding seems excessive and imnecessary. 

 The young, when a week old, keep strugghng from 

 beneath the old bird, and when they are ten days old 

 they do not care to be brooded at all and spend most 

 of their time clear of the mother, unless the weather 



Fig-. 7. SPARROW-HAWK. 



" Once, and ouly once, I saw her dump herself down on the young and they v'ery 

 quickly tried to wriggle from under her weight." 



(Photographed by J. H. Owen.) 



conditions are bad. She often goes to sleep on the nest 

 and closes her eyes, but the very slightest noise or move- 

 ment is sufficient to make her extremely alert again. 

 When asleep the lids always cover the eyes. At the 

 end of the brooding period the hen just sits beside the 

 young on the nest, she seldom covers them in the day- 

 time, but " mothers " one when it chooses to nestle 

 under her. I have no notes as to what brooding she 

 does in the night. 



