THE HOBBY 259 



Next instant the hawk rises straight and stoops 

 strongly ; pursuer and pursued become one. Bind- 

 ing to his quarry the hawk is away over the trees 

 at my back without so much as the most momentary 

 pause in the continuation of his eminently suc- 

 cessful " shikar." Indeed, this continuity of action 

 was possibly the most pleasing part of a praiseworthy 

 performance, since you might reasonably have? 

 expected a break however trivial after what 

 must have been a long and arduous chase. As a 

 fact, the death-stroke was so featly and rapidly 

 administered that, except that where a moment 

 before there had been two birds there was now one 

 only, and that a muffled clap and a few small, dusky 

 feathers twirling aimlessly in the summer breeze 

 suggested some sort of untoward happening, it w r as 

 difficult to realize that anything unusual had 

 taken place. 



I have seen the irresistible death-stoop of the 

 Peregrine, the lightning rush of the tiny Merlin : I 

 have watched the earthward plunge after prey of 

 Buzzard, Eagle, Kite, and Harrier : I have revelled 

 in the agile snatch of the Sparrow-Hawk, in the 

 silent hovering of the Kestrel ; and all have I 

 enjoyed. Here was something quite different and 

 even far better. Never have I seen skill so superb 

 as was displayed by that Hobby. 



On other occasions, as the Hobby flies along 

 comparatively slowly, it suddenly rushes straight 

 down earthwards ; and, as if quite mad, dives, twists, 



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