THE HOBBY 255 



The Hobby is a thorough member of the wood- 

 lands ; it loves a forest-life 'midst the old, gnarled 

 oaks, and smooth-stemmed beeches ; it revels in 

 the lusty growth of the Scots fir. In some dis- 

 tricts it is said to delight in oak woods exclusively ; 

 yet in several districts I know it exhibits no such 

 partiality, but is well content with the unbroken 

 solitudes of the fir-forests. The spot it likes best 

 for summer-quarters (I have known occasional 

 pairs well content with a plantation, a clump, or 

 even a thick line of trees) is the margin of a forest 

 or the edge of a big wood bordering some open 

 heath or common, meadows or downs, whence it 

 may readily view its prospective quarries and sally 

 forth to chase them. Often for the best part of 

 the day is the Hobby a hermit, since, usually until 

 about 4 p.m. and punctuality is not the bird's 

 least virtue it courts seclusion in the shade of the 

 trees, standing inert yet alert, like some choicely 

 carved image (though with its plumage fluffed out 

 and standing extra low on its perch I have seen it 

 look ungainly) on the limb of a forest giant, its 

 keen hazel eyes taking in every detail of its 

 immediate surroun dings . 



Just when the intense heat of the summer noon 

 has started to wane is the time for it to shake aside 

 all apathy and sloth, when, with expressive cries 

 of joy, it literally leaps from its seclusion and speeds 

 off to its favourite feeding-grounds. The same 

 foraging-ground is frequented daily, the same hour 



