144 TH E WOODLANDS. 



of prey, which consists of smaller birds and small 

 animals. Some deny that it attacks small birds at 

 all, and that the whole of its prey consists of mice and 

 shrews, and on the faith of this they contend that 

 it is a very useful bird and should not be destroyed 

 by gamekeepers, as often is the case. Unfortunately, 

 the remains of birds have frequently been found in 

 its stomach, and hence it cannot be acquitted. 

 Kestrels breed in rocks as well as trees, so that even 

 in the breeding season they are not wholly sylvan 

 in their habits. 



The Sparrow-hawk 1 is one of the boldest of its 

 tribe and the terror of small birds, which fly off, 

 screaming, at its approach. "It comes," writes 

 one, " silently and swiftly gliding, at the height of a 

 few feet, over the grass field, now shooting along 

 the hedge, now gliding over it to scan the other side, 

 and again advancing with easy strokes of its half- 

 expanded wings. As if suspecting the concealment 

 of something among the grass it now hovers awhile, 

 balancing itself with rapid but gentle beats of its 

 wings, and a vibratory motion of its expanded tail ; 

 but unable to discover any desirable object, away it 

 speeds, bounds over the stone wall, and curving 

 upwards alights on that stunted and solitary ash, and 

 surveys the neighbourhood. From such a station it 

 will sometimes dart suddenly on some unsuspecting 

 bird not far off, but more frequently it proceeds to a 

 distance before it finds its prey. So rapid is the 

 descent of this plunderer that, to one who has 

 unexpectedly witnessed it, nothing can be much more 

 J Falco nisus. 



