Winged Vermin The Sparrowhawk The Kestrel. 495 



It will, further, often select a large stone, stake, tree, or 

 such like, as resting place, from which, during its temporary 

 suspension of operations, it does not fail to keep a vigilant 

 look out. This feathered vermin evidently prefers winged 

 food to furred, but although its chief source of sustenance 

 is found in birds, an occasional rabbit or leveret does not 

 come amiss. The following list probably embraces those 

 which suffer most from . this bird's voracity : Young 

 pheasants and grouse, partridges, pigeons, larks, blackbirds, 

 snipes, swallows, sparrows, peewits, thrushes, all finches, 

 buntings, pipits, and many others, so that altogether this 

 hawk has a very good list from which to choose its daily 

 fare. In addition to these, mice of various sorts, grass- 

 hoppers, and several kinds of beetles are occasionally 

 consumed. All the small birds are swallowed whole, legs 

 included, so that proofs of mischief done in this direction 

 are not too frequent. Chickens and ducklings are also 

 much esteemed, not to mention coop-reared pheasants when 

 of tender age. 



The nest of the pigeon hawk as it is sometimes called 

 is rarely of its own construction ; most often an old nest 

 is chosen, formerly built and used by a crow, magpie, jay, 

 or wood pigeon, in some fir or other tree oak or ash for 

 choice ; or, perhaps, a solitary jackdaw's nest, in some 

 ruin or neglected house is selected, and becomes the 

 receptacle of its eggs. The sparrowhawk nests in April 

 and May. 



The Kestrel. This is probably the most common of our 

 British hawks, but by no means of the same destructive 

 nature that makes the sparrowhawk so notorious. It is, 



