THE HOBBY 265 



habitually lay from four to six, and in the case of 

 the Sparrow-Hawk, and very occasionally in that 

 of the Kestrel, sometimes seven. This alone would 

 be an obstacle to the Hobby's increase, quite apart 

 from the undoubted fact that from their unusual 

 tameness many a nestling comes to an untimely end. 

 Like those of the Kestrel and Merlin, the eggs of 

 the Hobby are of a reddish or brownish cast I 

 have seen some which, if specimens of the three 

 kinds, and especially some types of Kestrel's eggs, 

 were placed side by side and unlabelled on a table, 

 are quite indistinguishable yet many show a strong 

 wash of yellowish-brown, a tint which those of 

 Kestrel and Merlin comparatively seldom exhibit. 

 Of course, this character by no means of itself 

 suffices for identification : Hobby's eggs to be fully 

 authenticated must be seen in situ, with their owners 

 in attendance. The date, however, is helpful, since 

 the Hobby is an abnormally late breeder, seldom 

 having eggs before mid-June and sometimes not 

 until the end of that month. The earliest lot of 

 nestlings I ever heard of was a trio I found myself 

 one 4th of July. They were then two or three 

 days old, and since the Hobby sits for twenty-eight 

 days, the clutch in this case must have been com- 

 pleted by about June 4th. One brood only is reared 

 in the year. The Hobby is sometimes a very close 

 sitter : I have had to tap the tree containing the 

 eyrie twice before the brooding bird would relin- 

 quish her charge, but of course this behaviour is 



