HABITS OF SPARROW-HAWK. 



53 



VOL. X.] 



goes. Once I saw him come in on one side of the nest and 

 the hen seemed to notify him somehow that he was not 

 putting the food in the right spot. He moved on, turned 

 to the right, flew round the hut and came in on the 

 other side of the nest, dropped the bird and was gone 

 (Fig. 2). 

 When the hatching period approaches, the hen shows 



Fig. 2. SPARROW-HAWK. 

 He broug-ht th3 foo 1 to the wrong spot. 

 {Photographed by J. H. Owen.) 



less and less inclmation to leave the nest and I beheve 

 the cock dresses the birds for her to a large extent. She 

 must almost starve herself during the actual hatching 

 period. This year (1916) I watched a nest during June 

 and started watching a full week before the eggs hatched. 

 The wind during the M'hole of this period was nearly 

 north. The cock brought all his game to a felled tree 

 upwind and dressed it there. If the hen would not come 

 for the food at his calls he would eat what he needed and 

 go hunting again. On the hatching day (all the eggs in 



