THE FAERY YEAR 



which pursued it for a short distance, and then 

 returned to the cliff. 



I have several times watched the contest between 

 hawk and rook, and it has ended slightly in favour 

 of the rook. I have never seen a rook injure a 

 hawk, but it has driven the foe away. The rook has 

 been the attacker, and this is a great advantage in 

 bird contest. " Thrice is he armed that hath his 

 quarrel just " yes, but he should get his blow in 

 first. The rabbit has her quarrel just when the stoat 

 approaches her young. She gets her blow in first, 

 and the enemy is humbled. To attack (in wild 

 animal battles) is to conquer. There may be excep- 

 tions, but I believe this is the rule. The party 

 assaulted is taken by surprise ; he flees in confusion. 

 The hawk rarely turns does it, indeed, ever turn ? 

 on the swallow, pursuing and clamouring at it. 

 The mobbed owl does not strike at tit or finch. 

 During a high wind last week I saw a homing rook 

 swerve aside to assault a hawk which was trying to 

 hover over the woods. The hawk made no attempt 

 to defend itself. It fled at once, with the rook in 

 hot pursuit. 



The pace reached by both birds within a few 

 seconds was tremendous. Grand to watch, they 

 rushed down-wind, straight as an arrow from the 

 taut string, and, it seemed, almost as swift. Pace 

 once gathered, they turned right into the wind, or 

 glanced across it, still moving at a speed that all but 

 baffled the sight. Glorious were their swoops down 

 and up, curves, fiery darts 1 

 294 



