SPAEROW-HAWKS. 235 



easily distinguislied from the common buzzard by its hawk- 

 like appearance, small head, wings not so blunt, and longer 

 tail. This specimen contained in its craw some limbs of 

 frogs, and many grey snails without shells.* The iridea 

 of the eyes of this bird were of a beautiful bright yellow 

 colour. 



About the 10th of July, in the same summer, a pair of 

 sparrow-hawks bred 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 cliick- 

 ens or ducklings imder their care. A boy chmbed 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 swal- 

 lows 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 enemies at 

 defiance. 



LETTEE XCIV. 



TO THE SAME. 



Selborne, N&v. 30, 1780, 

 Deae Sie, — Every incident that occasions a renewal of cur 

 correspondence will ever be pleasing and agreeable to me. 

 As to the wild wood-pigeon,t the oenas ovvinago, of Eay, I 



* They constantly feed their young with the larvae of wasps and bees, and 

 probably themselves when they are able to procure them. This has probably 

 led to the idea of their eating honey. Besides frogs and snails, they will 

 occasionally prey on birds, rabbits, &c. — Ed. 



+ Both White and some other naturalists have written confused accounts 

 of these pigeons. The cushat or ring-dove (columha palumbiis) inhabits 

 woods and makes its nest on the branches of trees. 



The stock-pigeon (C. ocnas) has a grey slaty colour, and breeds freely ia 

 fcoles in the old pollards in Richmond Park. 



The rock-pigeon {C. livia) of a slaty grey, with two black bars on the wings, 



