HAWKS AND HAWK-LIKE BIRDS. 161 



Scotland, and then chiefly on migration ; all but 

 absent from Ireland. 



The Hobby is a summer visitor to England, and 

 while there is practically confined to the south-eastern 

 parts. It nests in trees in woods, whence in the 

 earlier part of its stay it launches itself upon small 

 birds in the surrounding fields, its unusually long, 

 pointed wings enabling it to surj)ass any of the Hawk 

 kind in the rapidity of its flight. This is such that 

 the Hobby will strike down birds of even the Swallow 

 tribe while flying. It feeds by preference, however, 

 upon large insects, cockchafers, dragon-flies, and the 

 like, capturing and devouring them upon the wing, 

 and these form its chief fare during the summer 

 months. The Hobby's wings, when closed, reach to 

 the end of its tail ; and when on the wing, this Hawk 

 may be distinguished from others bj^ its slender form 

 and the greater extent of its finely pointed wings in 

 proportion to the length of its tail. 



MERLIN— 11 to 124 inches. 

 KESTREL— 14 to 15^ inches. 



Both are more thickly set birds, and lack the long, 



attenuated wings of the Hobby. The Kestrel is, besides, 



a stationary hoverer in mid-air. 

 SPARROW-HAWK— 13 to 15^ inches; wings blunt and 



short ; nnder parts with fine transverse bars. 



• 



PEREGRINE FALCON. — Plate 74. Male: 15 

 inches. Upper parts dark blue-gray, blackish on the 

 head and nape, but lighter towards the tail ; mous- 

 taches black ; throat, fore-neck, and a small patch on 

 the side of the neck clear white ; under surface of 

 body white, with fine, close, dark cross-bars ; under 



