t2d ttf SIRD-LAND 



The Kestrel well knows the kind of reception he 

 would receive if he was to get among this crowd ol 

 foes. I expected that he would remain in seclusion 

 some time ; but on entering the copse I just caught 

 sight of the bird-cannibal, as one might call him, 

 sneaking away to the other side of the wood, and 

 flying near the ground. Thus, after all, the 

 Starlings were cheated out of their revenge, for 

 they did not see their enemy get away. 



In a short time the Kestrel is again over a 

 distant meadow ; and this time, instead of hovering, 

 he is going through that wonderful exercise also 

 peculiar to some other birds the power of ascend- 

 ing to a great height with hardly a perceptible 

 movement of his wings. With a field-glass I can 

 see him over the meadow slowly rising in circles, 

 occasionally resting on outstretched wings and 

 floating a short distance, then again starting, and 

 rising upward without any visible movement of 

 wing. Higher still he goes, until even through the 

 glass he looks like a dot in the sky ; otherwise 

 being quite invisible. 



A Cuckoo now flies across the field in the 

 direction of the copse about the worst thing it 

 could do under the circumstances ; for owing to the 

 Cuckoo's resemblance to the Kestrel during flight 

 perhaps because of its long tail many birds 



