138 NATURAL HISTORY 
tail. This specimen contained in its craw some 
limbs of frdgs, and many gray snails without shells, 
The irides of the eyes of this bird were of a beau- 
tiful bright yellow colour. 
About the 10th of July in the same summer, a 
pair of Spanrow-Hawks laid their eggs in an old 
crow’s nest on a low beech in the same Hanger ; 
and as their brood, which was numerous, began to 
grow up, became so daring and ravenous that they 
were a terror to all the dames in the village that 
had chickens or ducklings under their care. A boy 
climbed the tree, and found the young so fledged 
that they all escaped from him, but discovered that 
a good house had been kept; the larder was well 
stored with provisions; for he brought down a 
young blackbird, jay, and house-martin, all clean 
picked, and some half devoured. ‘The old birds 
had been observed to make sad havoc for some 
days among the new-flown swallows and martins, 
which, being but lately out of their nests, had not 
acquired those powers and command of wing that 
enable them, when more mature, to set such ene- 
mies at defiance. ® 
