266 FIELD-STUDIES OF RARER BIRDS 



not of regular occurrence. Before the " nest " is 

 found, the non-sitting bird for both sexes incubate 

 may have given its approximate site away by its 

 excited flight and cries as it dashes out from some 

 tree near its home on your approach : or else it 

 may first be seen high in the air driving off some 

 other big bird, such as a Carrion- Crow. At other 

 times, however, it is nowhere to be seen. 



When the " sitter " is flushed, both Hobbies are 

 sometimes sorely agitated. Now they winnow 

 about at a fair elevation, now they dive down 

 among the trees to rise again almost vertically. 

 Sometimes they approach the climber so closely 

 especially when they have young that he can see 

 their dark moustachial streak and admire the 

 sparkle of their liquid hazel eyes. Then for one 

 moment their bluish-black upper-parts are dis- 

 played ; next second, as they shoot up, the pale, 

 streaked breast meets the gaze : and they may call 

 repeatedly. 



As for the cry of the Hobby, in no 

 work on British birds can I find it correctly 

 described, if indeed described at all. Some 

 WTiters are content with the statement that it is 

 a chatter ; .others will tell you that it resembles 

 the ordinary ringing kwee-kwee-kwee of the 

 Kestrel. As a fact, however, it does nothing of 

 the kind ; and the cry of the Hobby is very charac- 

 teristic indeed, although nothing like as loud (all 

 the same it is penetrating) as would be expected 



