THE SPARROWHAWK. 285 



she quits it. As is usual with raptorial birds, the female 

 is much the largest, and, as a rule, the most courageous. 

 Often has she brushed my head with her wings, and I 

 have caught the savage glare in her eye when I have 

 been examining her home. Upon leaving her nest, no 

 sound escapes her as a rule, although she sometimes 

 disturbs the surrounding stillness with a shriek fraught 

 with anger and despair. The young are fed assiduously, 

 and I notice that when the birds have broods depend- 

 ing upon them they are more bold and venturesome 

 than usual. It is then the game coverts yield their 

 tribute of young chicks to feed the young of this bold 

 courageous bird ; it is then the smaller birds are even 

 more sorely pressed ; and it is then they will dash 

 swiftly and silently into the poultry yards and bear off 

 the young chicks so quickly. When the young reach 

 maturity they are abandoned by their parents, and the 

 Sparrowhawk lives in the company of his mate alone 

 for the remainder of the season. 



The eyrie of the Sparrowhawk is a very interesting 

 place to visit when the young are almost ready for 

 flight. Young Sparrowhawks exhibit great diversity of 

 size and colour. Indeed, there are seldom two in the 

 same nest alike when they have attained their first suit 

 of feathers. In the nest are pellets and feathers in 

 abundance not the feathers of game birds, as a rule, 

 but usually of the smaller Finches and warblers, notably 

 the Chaffinch and Willow Warbler. Animals are some- 

 times brought, as the fur of the rabbit and the mole tell 

 us pretty plainly. A few days before the young gain 

 the full use of their wings they spend the greater part 

 of their time upon the branches of the tree, flying from 

 branch to branch, trying and strengthening their pinions, 

 and uttering their peculiar tremulous notes. The leaves 



