FEATHERED OUTCASTS. 115 



full of blood, is gasping out in agony his last breath ; 

 his life so happy and joyful five minutes ago is ebbing 

 fast he is another victim to the crass ignorance of the 

 gamekeeper. That worthy will solemnly assure you 

 that the Cuckoo is transformed into a Hawk in autumn, 

 and that in spring it lives on eggs ; indeed he has even 

 heard tell of it catching young chicks ! Needless to say 

 the Cuckoo never molests the eggs of Game Birds, and 

 that his food is principally composed of large hairy 

 caterpillars which most other birds refuse to eat. 



On his way homewards the keeper does not forget 

 to call at a hollow tree in the park where he knows a 

 pair of Barn Owls are nesting. With a little skilful 

 management he catches the pair alive he intends 

 sending them and their brood off to the nearest town : 

 they are an order from some bird dealer friend of his. 

 Half a dozen parish mouse traps gone at once ! Poor 

 birds : but better far kill them at once than send them 

 to the horrors of captivity to pine and die. The fate of 

 the Hawks and Magpies is certainly a better one. We 

 ought also to mention that the keeper visited several 

 other traps, but their cruel work was still unaccomplished. 

 Two traps were set in the fir plantations in nests of the 

 Sparrow-hawk, and it is only a question of time, before 

 the birds fall victims to the keeper's cunning. The 

 Sparrow-hawk does live on birds ; but his food is the 

 smaller species, the Buntings and Finches, the Warblers 



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