THE SPARROWHAWK. 283 



cutions of the Sparrowhawk. You often see him dip 

 swiftly and silently down amongst the marshy places, 

 and bear off the unsuspecting frogs. Field mice, rats, 

 and even young rabbits are also eaten, if we may judge 

 from the contents of the pellets he ejects. I do not 

 think the Sparrowhawk takes more than two or three 

 small birds in the day, save in the breeding season, 

 and morning and evening are the times he most fre- 

 quently hunts for food. He courses rapidly up the 

 hedgerow sides, beats the open fields within a few inches 

 of the ground, and occasionally soars to some height in 

 the heavens, probably for the purpose of surveying the 

 ground beneath him. Now you see him glide noise- 

 lessly amongst the trees into the deepest shades, and 

 the next moment he is out again and past you like a 

 flash of light. His prey is always secured in his claws, 

 and the death-stroke comes from the same source alone. 

 The supposition that birds of prey strike with their 

 beak is erroneous, for, sharp and powerful as it is, it is 

 only used for tearing the captured prey in pieces. 



I am of opinion that the Sparrowhawk, like birds 

 of the Hawk tribe in general, pairs for life, and if 

 not disturbed, they will frequently use the same nest for 

 years, or build a new one close at hand. The Sparrow- 

 hawk rarely commences nesting duties until the month 

 of May fills his woodland haunts with the birds of 

 passage, which, then form his chief food, and the food on 

 which his young in part reach maturity. Notwithstand- 

 ing the belief to the contrary, the Sparrowhawk always 

 builds his own nest : in this respect he differs widely 

 from the Windhover, but for what cause we are at pre- 

 sent totally ignorant. Certainly it is not because no 

 old nests are accessible, for the Carrion Crow and the 

 Magpie build in plenty all around him, and their deserted 



