/// Fairs f and Copse. 137 



in localities where their nests are not so very easy 

 to discover. The Kestrel is especially fortunate in 

 this respect, for it breeds in the deserted nests of 

 Crows, Stock Doves, and Magpies, or in the old 

 drey of a squirrel, and a good many of these nests 

 may be searched without finding the one selected; 

 not only so, but the trees are generally in full foliage 

 before the eggs are laid or the young hatched, and 

 this fact conduces greatly to the concealment of 

 many a nest. We can recall many occasions when 

 we have climbed to a score or more deserted nests 

 in a single day, amongst these grand old woods, on 

 the off-chance of discovering Kestrels' or Long-eared 

 Owls' eofSfs, and considered ourselves well rewarded 

 if we found one or two at most occupied by these 

 second tenants. On the other hand, many have 

 been the times when we have seen keepers shoot into 

 these old nests, as well as fire and kill the brooding 

 Hawk as she sat upon her eggs or sheltered her 

 downy young, in spite of all remonstrance upon our 

 part. The Sparrow-hawk breeds a little earlier. 

 We have had a long and varied experience with the 

 domestic economy of this plucky little bird, and we 

 have invariably found that it not only builds its own 

 nest, but makes a new one every season. Indeed, 

 in not a few cases we have noticed that when its eggs 

 have been taken from one nest it has built another 

 in the vicinity in which to lay a new clutch. The 



