THE HOBBY. 



70 



The true Lannek (Falco Lanarius) is a native of Northern Europe, and is not known 

 as a visitor of the British shores. It is a rather large bird, considerably exceeding the 

 Peregrine Falcon in its dimensions, and being little inferior in size to the Jerfalcon itself. 

 This bird was formerly much esteemed for the purpose of falconry, and was specially 

 trained to fl}' at the kite, a bird which is too strong to aflbrd the ordinary Peregrine 

 Falcon anj^ possible hope of success. The male of this species is considerably smaller 

 than his mate, and is therefore called a Lanneret. The Engli.sh bird, to which the title 

 of Lanner has often been wrongly applied, is nothing more than the young female 

 Peregrine Falcon. 



~w. 



The small but exquisitely 

 shaped Hobby is found spread 

 over the greater part of the old 

 world, specimens having been 

 taken in Noi-thern Africa, and in 

 many portions of Asia, as well as 

 in Europe, which seems to be its 

 chief residence. It was formerly 

 very common in England, but is 

 year by year less seldom seen in 

 our island, as is the case with all 

 its predaceous relations. From all 

 accounts, it seems to be rather a 

 local liird, being partially influ- 

 enced by the nature of the ground 

 and the cpiantity of food which 

 it is able to procure. 



This bird appears to favour 

 inland and weU-wooded lands 

 rather than the sea-shore or the 

 barren rocks ; thus presenting a 

 strong contrast to the PeregTine 

 Falcon. We may find an obvious 

 reason for this preference in the 

 fact that a considerable proportion 

 of its food is composed of the 

 larger insects, especially of the 

 fat-bodied beetles, which it seizes 

 on the wing. Chaffers of various 

 kinds are a favourite prey with 

 the Hobby, and in sevei'al cases 

 the stomachs of Hobbies that had 

 been shot were found to contain 

 nothing but the shelly portions of 

 the larger dung-chafler {geotrupes 

 stercorarius). As therefore the 

 common cock-chaffer is a leaf- 

 eating insect and frequents forest 

 lands for the purpose of attaining 

 its food, the Hobby will constantly be found in the same locality for the object of 

 feeding on the cock-chafter. And as the dung-chaffer swarms wherever cattle are most 

 al)undantly nourished, the Hobby is attracted to the same spot for the sake of the 

 plentiful supply of food which it can obtain. 



Larks, finches, and various small birds, fall victims to the swift wings and sharp claws 

 of the Hobby; but its predilections for insect-himting are so great, that even when trained 

 for the purpose of falconry and flown at small birds, it is too apt to neglect the quarry to 



HOBBY. — Hupotriorchis s^thbuteo. 



