WELL-KNOWN FEATHERED OUTLAWS 27 



bating" for a few days, we witnessed a first-class fight 

 between the Hawks and their sable antagonists, in 

 which the latter suffered severely ; and not content 

 with that, the victors proceeded to oust the eggs 

 from the nest and then circled triumphantly round 

 the tree-top. In due course they laid their own eggs 

 there, and reared a nice brood. This incident was 

 all the more extraordinary as not far off in a small 

 spinney was a Magpie's old nest, where the same or 

 another pair of Windhovers had nested the previous 

 year." 



These two Hawks, then, the Kestrel and Sparrow- 

 hawk, are by far the best known in this country, though 

 in the northern shires and Scotland the little Merlin is 

 by no means rare ; and on one or two occasions we 

 have come across the rotting form of that beautiful 

 little Falcon, the Hobby ; but as these pages deal 

 exclusively with well-known outlaws, we will not 

 dwell on the habits of the two last-named, though we 

 may just say that we know of one or two favoured 

 spots where the Hobby still breeds. Occasionally, 

 too, a larger Hawk, such as a Buzzard or Peregrine, 

 graces the gallows ; but these, of course, are out of 

 the common run also, and therefore we will omit all 

 mention of them here. 



Turning to the Owls, two species may generally be 

 found on the gallows in greater or less abundance — 

 the familiar Barn Owl, and the author of the cele- 

 brated hoot, the Brown or Wood Owl ; and in districts 

 abounding with firs the cat-like long-eared species 

 may be seen. However, we are rejoiced to say that 

 we personally know many keepers who refrain from 



