THREATENING THE CUCKOO i\ 



mistake it for the Hawk and attack it fiercely in 

 consequence. First of all the Swallows fly at the 

 Cuckoo and dart down upon him, while other 

 small birds come up as reinforcements ; but some- 

 thing still worse than all this is in store for 

 the innocent Cuckoo. The still angry Starlings, 

 when they see it approaching, go at their supposed 

 enemy in full force, no doubt thinking him to be 

 the foe which carried one of their comrades away 

 some time previous. With loud cries they assail 

 the Cuckoo on all sides, but none daring actually 

 to strike. The Cuckoo, hardly knowing which 

 way to turn, makes for the trees, and is soon lost 

 to view, while the Starlings, having uttered their 

 revengeful notes, return to the meadow to feed. 



The Kestrel does not always obtain its food by 

 hovering, as they may sometimes be seen searching 

 among the stubble for supplies. 



I once set several traps in a field that was 

 infested with rats, and when examining these on the 

 next morning I saw a Kestrel hovering near one 

 of them. As I watched its movements, I noticed 

 that it remained near for some time, probably not 

 liking the sight of the large rat that was caught. 

 But presently the bird pounced down and com- 

 menced eating the trapped animal, and I willingly 

 left him to ^njoy his repast. About three hours 



