278 The Sparrow Hawk. 



male, then known as the musket, could be carried by the holy 

 water clerk. Shakespearian students will recollect how, in "The 

 Merry Wives of Windsor," Mrs Ford addresses Falstaff's page 

 with, "How now, my Eyas Muskett ?" — an Eyas Muskett being 

 a young male sparrow hawk taken from the nest. There is no 

 doubt that falconry, having for generations almost ceased to 

 exist in this country, has now began again to increase in favour. 

 In its revival lies a great hope that the unwise destruction of our 

 native raptorial birds may cease. I do not wish for a moment 

 to deny that the present species is rapacious and destructive in 

 the extreme. But are there no points to be put to the credit side 

 of the ledger ? No other species so effectively keeps the small 

 seed-eating birds in check, and that most destructive pest to the 

 farmers — wood pigeons — could be greatly reduced if there were 

 more sparrow hawks. And a prime consideration is that no 

 estate enjoys a proper amenity, and its full share of natural 

 beauty without a fair head of all the birds of prey. The 

 damage done to game in conseqence would be comparatively 

 trifling. One pair of sparrow hawks in the course of a year on 

 an average estate would not cause as much injury to game as 

 would the efforts of one bad shot on a big shooting day. 



A few words about the plumage of this species will end this 

 narrative. The young birds are at first covered with white down, 

 which gives place to a general sepid brown feathering above, all 

 the feathers margined with rufous. The under surface of body 

 is white, the throat narrowly streaked with black, the foreneck 

 and chest with broad rufous streaks, flanks and thighs barred 

 with dark brown. 



The young plumage remains for one or two years, and these 

 birds sometimes breed while still in miniature feathers. The 

 first adult dress with bars underneath seems to be gained by the 

 breaking up of the paltern on the feather, rather than by a com- 

 plete moult. The broad centre of pale rufous alters in shape 

 and breaks off into bars, and the heart-shaped spot on the 

 terminal part of the feather being absorbed, the bird is then in 

 fully adult plumage. With old age the birds become more and 

 more rufous. 



