HABITS OF SPARROW-HAWK. 



109 



VOL. X.] 



late layer, and I had to go up to the nest more than once 

 before I saw an egg. Then a Jay sucked each egg as 

 it was laid, leaving the empty shell on the nest. The 

 Hawk just pushed this out of the nest, sometimes only 

 on to the brim, and deposited another egg. At last I 

 removed the shells ; cleaned the nest up a little and 

 took the fresh egg. Later on the Hawk laid four eggs 



Fig. 2. SPAEEOW-HAWK. 



The old hen feeding at the nest after the young have left. 



{Photographed by J. H. Owen.) 



and raised three young in this nest. This case is interest- 

 ing in that it shows that sometimes this species leaves 

 the neighbourhood of the nest for at any rate parts of 

 the day while laying is in progress. 



The clutch varies from four to seven, but the usual 

 number is five or six. The eggs are laid every other 

 day and invariably before noon. If the clutch is taken 

 when the bird has finished laying or begun to sit, the 

 second clutch is usually a smaller one. I have only 



