CHAPTER TEN BIRDS OF PREY 



by a brood of young ducks. She never left them for a mo- 

 ment, excepting when she retired to her nest to lay; and 

 even then, if the ducks uttered any cry of alarm, on the ap- 

 proach of dog or children, their stepmother came fly ingover 

 bushes and fences in a most furious hurry. Indeed she be- 

 came quite the terror of the children, running after them 

 and pecking their legs if they came too near to her adopted 

 brood; although at other times she was rather a wild and 

 shy bird. The ducks had a habit of hunting for worms in the 

 dusk of the evening, and the poor guinea hen, much against 

 her inclination and natural propensities, thought it necess- 

 ary always to accompany them. Frequently tired out, she 

 used to fly up to roost, but always kept her eye on the young 

 ducks, and on the least alarm came bustling down to protect 

 them if she thought it necessary, at any hour of the night. 

 A pugnacious cock at another time was rash enough to 

 attack the haw^k, and was not only killed, but devoured. 

 Frequently, unlucky pigeons came within reach of her 

 chain, and were also eaten. I n consequence of these depred- 

 ations, she is exiled to the walled garden. One day I was 

 altering her chairj, and she flew away. After flying three 

 or four times round the house and garden, she perched in 

 a high tree and would not come down. I was obliged to 

 leave her at night, and in the morning the hawk was no- 

 where to be found. For four days I saw nothing of her; but 

 on going out early on the fifth morning, I saw her wheel- 

 ing about at a great height, with some hooded crows giving 

 battle to her. I stood out in an open place and whistled. 

 As soon as she heard me, after two or three rapid sweeps 

 round my head, she perched down on my arm, and immed- 

 137 



