144 THE SPARROW-HAWK AND KESTREL. 



sudden approach of danger. We have two kinds of 

 petty hawks, the sparrow-hawk (falco nisus) and the 

 kestrel (falco tinunculus), that seem fully to impress 

 upon their destined prey this species of intimidation. 

 A beautiful male bullfinch, that sat harmlessly pecking 

 the buds from a blackthorn by my side, when overlook- 

 ing the work of a laborer, suddenly uttered the in- 

 stinctive moan of danger, but made no attempt to es- 

 cape into the bush, seemingly deprived of the power of 

 exertion. On looking round, a sparrow-hawk was ob- 

 served on motionless wing gliding rapidly along the 

 "hedge, and, passing me, rushed on its prey with un- 

 deviating certainty. There was fully sufficient time from 

 the moment of perception for the bullfinch to escape ; 

 but he sat still, waiting the approach of death, an un- 

 resisting victim. We have frequently observed these 

 birds, when perched on an eminence, insidiously atten- 

 tive to a flock of finches and yellow-hammers basking 

 in a hedge, and after due consideration apparently single 

 out an individual. Upon its moving for its prey, some 

 wary bird has given the alarm, and most of the little 

 troop scuttle immediately into the hedge ; but the hawk 

 holds on its course, and darts upon a selected object. 

 If baffled, it seldom succeeds upon another ; and so 

 fixed are its eyes upon this one individual, that, as if 

 unobservant of its own danger, it snatches up its morsel 

 at our very sides. A pigeon on the roof of the dovecot 

 seems selected from its fellows, the hawk rarely snatch- 

 ing at more than one terror-stricken bird. The larger 

 species of hawks appear to employ no powers excepting 

 those of wing, but pursue and capture by celerity and 

 strength. 



We converse annually upon early and late seasons ; 

 and such things there are. A mild winter, a warm Feb- 

 ruary and March, will influence greatly the growth of 

 vegetation : not that a primrose under that bank, or a 

 violet under the shelter of this hedge, affords us any 

 criterion of earliness ; but a general shading of green, 

 an expansion of buds, an incipient unfolding of leaves, 

 gives notice of the spring's advance. The principal 

 blossoming of plants usually takes place at nearly stated 



