18 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



FALCO SUBBUTEO, Linnaeus. 

 HOBBY. 



A very regular summer visitant, though in small 

 numbers, arriving in June, and is met with both 

 in adult and immature plumage. Mr. Lubbock speaks 

 of its breeding at Hargham in the nest of a crow, 

 and Mr. Spalding has taken its eggs, both at Thorpe 

 Abbots, near Harleston, and at Kingswood, near 

 Broome, invariably from crows' nests, the eggs of 

 the orows being purposely removed to insure the 

 occupation of the nest by the hobbies later in the 

 season. A raven's nest, in High Grove, Geldestone, 

 (Suffolk,) was also yearly tenanted by hobbies after the 

 young ravens had flown. Of late years of course such 

 instances have become more and more scarce, but a pair 

 were known to breed at Bixley, near Norwich, in 1844 ; 

 and the following facts respecting a similar occurrence 

 in 1853, show the courageous and persevering adhe- 

 rence of this species to any favourite locality. A pair 

 of these birds were observed to frequent a wood at 

 Hockering, and, doomed by the very name of hawk, the 

 male soon fell a victim to the keeper's gun. A second 

 and a third time the female returned with a fresh mate, 

 but only to share the fate of its predecessors ; still she 

 managed, herself, to escape all dangers, and, undaunted 

 by her repeated losses, returned with a fourth consort 

 to the same spot. This time the persecution was stayed, 

 and the gallant little bird was allowed to rear her 

 young ones undisturbed, which were seen later in the 

 season flying about the wood. Of the three males 

 which were brought successively to a bird preserver 

 in this city, the first was in immature, the others 

 in adult plumage; and it is the more remarkable 



