181 



hstub aiA Crote/' 



To the Editor of the Wiltshire Magazine. 



"Mt Deae Sie, 



" I last year had a rare opportimity of observing the kestrel during the 

 two months of its breeding-time, the particulars of which I now send you in 

 accordance with your request. One morning, about the 20th of May, last year, 

 I was told there were two strange eggs laid in a hen's nest, at my Down Barn, 

 and my informant who ' looked up ' the hen's eggs there added that he thought 

 ' 'twere a Haak had led 'em there.' On examining the spot I found one had been 

 added to the two which the man had observed, and fearing lest some mischance 

 might occur, by their being taken or destroyed, I took a specimen myself. Two 

 more were then laid. The nest was in an old water-trough, put up on the beams 

 of an open skilling, within reach of the ground. The birds at once began sitting, 

 and I was delighted to find that, although a day's shearing was done at the barn 

 on the 2nd June, my people so respected my fancy that they did not cause the 

 old bird to forsake, although the door opened back almost against her. When 

 the young appeared my interest increased, for I much wished for evidence to 

 support the theory I had always held, that the the kestrel was more useful than 

 destructive. A porch in a fi-ame barn is built at right angles to the skilling, so, 

 by raising a ladder inside this, and boring a large gimlet-hole, I had an oppor- 

 tunity of looking into the nest, and to the end of the trough, about 10 feet away. 

 For the first few days the young ones were daintily provided with the brains of 

 young lapwings ; the rest of the body, I noticed, was carried to the far end of the 

 trough, I suppose to be used for the parents' supper. In the course of a few days 

 the young consumed all brought to them, at first at intervals of fifteen to twenty 

 minutes at furthest. The parents' approach seemed to be known very early to 

 the young, and was shewn by a peculiar movement without noise. The old birds, 

 I thought, had an idea they were watched, looking round towards my little 

 ' look-out ' some times with great suspicion, and often hopping back to the trough 

 edge to reconnoitre. Another very busy day's shearing took place about 30th 

 June, before the young ones were fledged, but the parents took it as a matter of 

 course, and never left off the food supply. I am very sorry to be obliged to say my 

 favorable opinion of the character of my pets must be very much modified, when 

 I state that at the lowest computation as many as one hundred young lapwings 

 were sacrificed to bring up this family of four. On many occasions I caused the 

 old birds to go ofE, that I might examine what they had brought, but only twice 

 was the fare varied, when a solitary mouse and young linnet severally composed 

 VOL. XVIII. NO. LIU. O 



