THE KESTREL AND SPARROWHAWK 81 



sudden turns of flight with its short wings as to evade 

 even vigilant notice. 



10 Of these two kinds of hawk (popularly so called) Kestrel 

 the sparrowhawk may be in figure the handsomer ^ n ^^T 

 fellow with his fierce light-coloured eye, his smarter compared. 

 coat, and his barred breast showing like the braided 

 stripes on the chest of a gallant hussar ; but he has 

 neither the kingly style and range of flight of the 

 kestrel, whose dominion is the lofty and open sky, 

 nor is he the loyal ally and aid of man as the kestrel 

 may fairly claim to be. The kestrel is, indeed, a 

 kingly sportsman, enjoying his life in the light of 



20 heaven and in the sight of all, heedless or defiant of 

 observation ; the sparrowhawk, on the other hand, is 

 a cunning and deadly poacher, dodging from view 

 among bushes and branches, and darting like a 

 detective from unsuspected quarters a terror and 

 (with those terrible claws !) a destruction to the puny 

 panting tenants of the hedgerow and the downy 

 denizens of the poultry-yard. It was different in the 

 old hawking days when the sparrowhawk was the 

 trained retainer and wore the livery of man. But 



so times have changed ; the service of the sparrowhawk 

 as gillie is no longer required, and his reputation 

 (with his occupation) is gone. 



Seen on the wing in mid-sky, the kestrel manifests Ttie 

 his connexion as a falcon with the kingly eagle, a e ^ e e 

 whose small viceroy, indeed, he is. It might h&ve falcon 

 been at the royal court that he acquired the grand 

 manner and bearing, his imitation of the kingly 

 style is so excellent. Only some twelve or, at most, 

 fifteen inches long, he yet looks like a lord of the sky, 



40 from his easy assumption of dignity and ownership, 



1643 F 



