126 THE BIRDS OF COOKHAM AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
Accordingly, he mounted to the nest, and was immediately 
greeted with loud cries from the young birds. The male Hobby 
hearing the screams of the nestlings, sailed over to the spot, and 
surveyed the scene of action from a considerable height. Suddenly 
as Mr. Briggs was preparing to descend with his captives, the bird 
darted down from above with immense velocity, his wings cleaving 
the air with a loud whish-sh-sh as he shot down to within a foot 
of the intruder’s head, and then carried up by the impetus of 
his descent, he mounted as swiftly as he had stooped, and only 
paused a second ere he recommenced the attack. This was 
renewed in quick succession as Mr. Briggs descended, causing in 
his mind no small apprehension lest the courageous bird should 
strike at his face. Having reached the ground in safety, and 
wishing to obtain the old bird, he carried the young into the 
middle of a neighbouring field, and having made them scream, 
stood ready; with his gun. No sooner did the parent-bird 
hear the young cry, than he again appeared, and from an im- 
mense height swooped at Mr. Briggs with the same astonishing 
velocity that had characterized his former descents. So sudden 
was the attack that there was no time to fire, and the bird ascen- 
ded like lightning. Would that I could now add that the Hobby 
escaped, but alas! love for its nestlings impelled him to make one 
more stoop, and in the midst of his next descent, the gun 
was fired, and the poor Hobby fell to the earth ‘like a 
thunderbolt.”” The difference between the mode of attack of the 
Sparrowhawk and that of the Hobby in defence of their young is 
also noticed by Mr. Stevenson wher writing on the former bird in 
his ‘Birds of Norfolk.’ The Hobby seems always to descend 
from above, while the Sparrowhawk dashes backwards and for- 
wards, sometimes even striking at the intruder. 
6. Hypotriorchis cesalon. The Merlin. 
Although neither Mrs. De Vitré nor myself possess a specimen 
of this bird actually shot at Cookham, still the species has 
occasionally been observed by Mr. Briggs flying in the neigh- 
bourhood, and I have received eggs from a man named 
