52 THE SPARROW-HAWK 



at the beginning of May. When the young hawks are in the nest 

 the parent birds hunt early and late, and at this time partridge, 

 pheasant and poultry rearing is at its height and the toll taken by the 

 sparrow-hawk renders the gamekeepers and poultry man's or woman's 

 work unprofitable. At other times the sparrow-hawk hunts for 

 food about dusk, when young partridges may be safe under the 

 hen, young pheasants in their coops or under their foster-mothers, 

 and chickens under similar protection be safe from attack; but 

 even then no opportunity, under the pressing demands of hunger, 

 is lost of swooping down upon small hares and rabbits, young part- 

 ridges and pheasants, chickens and pigeons. Though termed 



FIG. 38. THE SPARROW-HAWK. 



sparrow-hawk, it does not confine its attention to sparrows, but 

 kills many kinds of small birds, such as chaffinches and other 

 finches, blackbirds, thrushes, titmice, and wrens, hence injurious to 

 some extent in that respect, and this counterbalances its beneficence 

 in destroying wood-pigeons, which in some districts are a fearful 

 pest to the farmer and gardener. The sparrow-hawk also feeds at 

 times upon mice, grasshoppers, cockchafers, and even frogs. Not 

 infrequently this bird is mobbed by smaller birds such as swallows, 

 and even then a victim is seized and taken off in triumph. The 

 sparrow-hawk is sometimes tamed and kept in gardens for the pur- 

 pose of frightening birds ; but it usually attracts them to mob it than 

 they to be driven away. 



The HEN HARRIER (Circus ceruginosm) included in the sub-family 



