THE SPARROW-HAWK 51 



nesting in pleasure grounds and in trees in fields. The nest usually 

 consists of a few sticks thrown loosely together on a flat sprayey 

 branch, and is often so thin that the white eggs can be seen from 

 below. Two broods are reared annually, and each of a pair of 

 young. The " crop " of these birds is of large size and of double 

 conformation, the so-called " pigeon's milk " consisting of the 

 mucous secretion of the glands of the crop mixed with the softened 

 food, which, being regurgitated from the crop, is used by the parents 

 to feed their young. Both sexes incubate, and the young are entirely 

 dependent upon the parents' care after being hatched, and pair- 

 ing generally is for life. The food consists of grain, " seed " as 

 well as ear and stubble, great variety of weed-seeds, such as char- 

 lock, wild mustard, etc., acorns, leaves and tops of swedes and 

 turnips. It is also partial to leaves of " greens " (Brassica tribe) 

 in fields and gardens, particularly recently planted cauliflower 

 plants, and occasionally devastates pea crops. 



The STOCKDOVE (Columba cenas), Fig, 112, is similar in its habits 

 to the Ringdove, but more given to breeding in closer proximity 

 in fir plantations, and feeds upon similar food, assembling in vast 

 flocks in winter and feeding on beech-mast, etc., is often enticed to 

 trains of grain in woods and shot in great numbers during severe 

 weather. This species has been credited with being the progenitor 

 of the domestic pigeon. 



The ROCK PIGEON (Columba lima] builds in the holes and crevices 

 of rocks, its food consisting of grains, seeds, and vegetables, varied 

 with a dietary of mollusca, such as snails, etc. 



DESTRUCTIVE TO GAME, POULTRY AND PIGEONS 



The SPARROW-HAWK (Accipiter nisus), Fig. 38, a Raptorial bird 

 and type of the sub-family Accipitrinae, is one of the commonest 

 of British hawks. The male is about 12 in. in length, while 

 the female is 2j to 4 in. longer. The upper part of the body of 

 the male is of a bluish-slate colour, under-part brown or greyish- 

 brown, with bars of darker colour. The female is brown in the 

 body, and the under-parts light grey with brownish bars. In both 

 the male and female the beak is blue and the legs and feet yellow. 

 The wings are short, and the bird has a peculiar flight. High up 

 in the air, propelled by its wings, it skims along for a while without 

 their motion, but when in pursuit of prey it darts down with astound- 

 ing velocity, even through trees and underwood, upon a wood- 

 pigeon, sparrow or other bird, and swoops down on young partridges 

 and pheasants, pigeons and chickens in the stackyard and poultry 

 yard, fearless of man. 



The sparrow-hawk builds a nest of sticks in trees, usually in oak 

 or fir, and in the depth of woods. The eggs, rounded, bluish-green 

 with shades or spots of brown, are five or six in number, and laid 



