CARANCHO 81 



hunt him from their ground, for it was near the 

 breeding-season, when their jealous irascible temper 

 is most excited* All at once, just as a Lapwing swept 

 close by and then passed on before it, the Hawk 

 quickened its flight in the most wonderful manner 

 and was seen in hot pursuit of its tormentor. The 

 angry hectoring cries of the Lapwings instantly 

 changed to piercing screams of terror, which in a 

 very short time brought a crowd numbering between 

 two and three hundred birds to the rescue. Now, 

 I thought, the hunted bird will escape, for it twisted 

 and turned rapidly about, trying to lose itself amongst 

 its fellows, all hovering in a compact crowd about 

 it and screaming their loudest. But the Carancho 

 was not to be shaken off; he was never more than 

 a yard behind his quarry, and I was near enough to 

 distinguish the piteous screams of the chased Lap- 

 wing amidst all the tumult, as of a bird already 

 captive. At the end of about a minute it was seised 

 in the Carancho's talons, and, still violently scream- 

 ing, borne away. The cloud of Lapwings followed 

 for some distance, but presently they all returned 

 to the fatal spot where the contest had taken 

 place ; and for an hour afterwards they continued 

 soaring about in separate bodies, screaming all the 

 time with an unusual note in their voices as of 

 fear or grief, and holding excited conclaves on 

 the ground, to all appearance as greatly disturbed 

 in their minds as an equal number of highly 

 emotional human beings would be in the event 

 of a similar disaster overtaking them. 



F II 



