CHAPTER VIII. 



Determination of Sparrow-hawk Boldness and voracity of 

 Stoat Jays bait for Flocks of Magpies Jays, Mag- 

 pies, &c. subject to fits Raven Cats Barn-owls Kes- 

 trels -Foxes. 



TTTHILE partridge-shooting a year or two ago 

 I put up a covey of birds, and, following 

 them with the keeper, came across one which had 

 just been knocked down by a Hawk. He at once 

 set about taking preliminary measures for the 

 apprehension of the offender, by pegging down 

 the bird, placing a small bush at its head, and 

 otherwise limiting the hawk's approach to it by 

 a little avenue of sticks, between which the gin 

 was to be set after our day's shooting was over. 

 Having expressed a wish to see the hawk if he 

 caught it, the next morning, as I was sitting down 

 to breakfast, I was told that he wanted to speak 

 to me, and, on going out, found him with his 

 prisoner, a hen Sparrow-Hawk, alive in the gin, 

 which had her fast by one leg. From the claw 



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