VOL. x] HABITS OF SPARROW-HAWK. 115 



Sparrow-Hawk and Kestrel are playing ; then both 

 birds genumely soar up to a tremendous height, first 

 one and then the other getting uppermost. Now and 

 then the Sparrow-Hawk makes a short dash at the 

 Kestrel, which, however, easily evades the rush by a 

 quick upward movement and the soaring continues in 

 slow spirals. These occasions seem to be very rare, and 

 I do not know what the climax is, as the birds have 

 gone out of view, or some other misfortune has happened 

 to prevent my seeing it. 



It is my hope sometime to recast these notes in book 

 form, and I shall be very grateful for candid criticism 

 and help on points where my observations are faulty 

 or deficient. I consider that the only way to get really 

 accurate observations at the nest would be to construct 

 an observation hut at least thirty feet from a nest, and 

 watch proceedings with a powerful glass. It may be 

 that on some future occasion I shall find a nest where 

 such a proceeding is possible. 



