KESTREL AND RAT. 53 



and seized a rat which had evidently just issued 

 from the heap of stones, and was running at the 

 top of its speed to the opposite ditch. So rapid 

 was the swoop, that it had not accomplished half 

 the distance before the bird was on its back : fix- 

 ing the talons of both feet across its shoulders and 

 loins, she arose, and although evidently retarded 

 by her writhing and squeaking burden, cleared 

 the hedge, fluttered across a field, and alighted on 

 a mound of earth at the farther side. By making 

 a slight detour, and masking my advance with an 

 intervening oak tree, I contrived to approach 

 within thirty yards, and could perceive that she 

 was endeavouring to destroy the life of her victim 

 by severing with her beak the spine about the 

 middle of the back, Once, as if to try how far 

 her exertions in this respect had been attended 

 with success, she relaxed her hold of the rat, and 

 hovered over it in the air for a few seconds, while 

 the latter, whose vocal powers were now quite ex- 

 tinguished, and all its hinder parts paralyzed, 

 attempted to crawl, with the assistance of its fore 

 legs, down the sloping edge of the mound, when 

 the kestrel, as if satisfied that it could give her 

 but little more trouble, or perhaps ashamed of 

 prolonging a cruel experiment, more worthy of a 

 cat than a falcon, again seized it with both feet, 

 and resuming her position on the summit of the 



