50 British Birds ^ 



this really originated in the impulses of the Goshawk's 

 own instinct, which leads it to attack Haies and 

 Rabbits, or birds which, like the Partridge and 

 Grouse, never voluntarily fly at any great height 

 above the level of the ground. One curious habit of 

 this bird is that of waiting patiently until some bird, 

 which it has driven to covert, leaves its shelter, when 

 the pursuit — after a pause of perhaps long duration — 

 is immediately resumed, and probably carried to its 

 purposed result. Most of the other Hawks, when 

 baffled in the way noticed, very speedily relinquish 

 all apparent thought or recollection of the escaped 

 creature, and proceed to seek for a fresh quarry. It 

 builds its nest on some high tree ; only the tree 

 selected is never found in the inner and deep 

 parts of the wood and forest. Like many other birds, 

 both predatory and other, it will often return to the 

 same nest, adding whatever repairs may be required, 

 for several successive years. It lays three or four 

 eggs, of a pale faint blue, quite untinged with any 

 other colour. 



SPARROW ^k^Y^—{Accipiter nisus). 



Sometimes called Pigeon Hawk. — Another short- 

 winged hawk, as the last named also was, but vastly 

 more common and familiarly known. Some of the 

 Falcons already named may be fitly called bold, or 

 fearless ; the Sparrow Hawk may be pronounced 

 audacious, or impudent. If you hear some careful, 

 Martha-like housewife of a hen skirling and fussing, 

 in dire alarm, her terrified chicks the while seeking 

 any possible shelter, you may be almost certain that 



