THE SPARROWHAWK 87 



dispensed with, the female depositing her eggs in a 

 rocky depression or stone hollow destitute of furnish- 

 ing of any kind. The young have thus a Spartan 

 upbringing. The clutch for both birds is usually four 



210 or five ; and the eggs are about the same size, but 

 the markings differ. The hen-kestrel's egg is a close- 

 mottled red all over, while the hen-hawk's is a bluish- 

 white with reddish-brown blotches. The young of 

 both birds are voracious, long helpless, and require 

 the constant ministration of their parents. There is 

 one brood a year. The mother birds, which are fiercer 

 as well as larger than the males, show remarkable 

 affection in feeding and (if need be) in defending 

 their nestlings, even against human aggression. It is 



220 recorded that a sparrowhawk's nest was found to 

 contain a store of ' sixteen larks, sparrows, and other 

 small birds ', all fresh meat, and probably purveyed 

 for the wants of a single day. It happens that the 

 young are quite ready to cater for themselves just 

 when the harvest fields are beginning to be bare, and 

 linnets and mice are easily observed and abundant. 

 Both kestrels and sparrowhawks are to a considerable 

 extent migratory, in point of numbers and of area as 

 well, but individuals are found with us the whole 



230 year round. The shifting of quarters takes place in 

 the autumn, and the return begins early in spring. 

 Nesting, however, is late. A favourite winter resort 

 of the kestrel is the sea-coast. A tame kestrel is as 

 amusing and quite as companionable a pet as a dog. 

 It comes readily through the air to its master's call, 

 perches familiarly on his shoulder, and looks and 

 listens with apparent intelligence. 



Our earlier literature draws much of its imagery 



