HAWKS AND HAWK-LIKE BIRDS. 161 



Scotland, and then chiefly on migration ; all bat 

 absent from Ireland. 



The Hobby is a summer visitor to England an( j 

 while there is practically confined to the south-eastern 

 parts. It nests in trees in woods, whence in the 

 earlier part of its stay it launches iteelf upon small 

 birds in the surrounding fields, ito unusually long, 

 pointed wings enabling it to surpass any of the Hawk 

 kind in the rapidity of its flight This is such that 

 the Hobby will strike down birds of even the Swallow 

 tribe while flying. It feeds by preference, however, 

 upon large insects, cockchafers, dragon-flies, and the 

 like, capturing and devouring them upon the wing, 

 and these form its chief fare during the summer 

 months. The Hobby's wings, when closed, reach to 

 the end of its tail ; and when on the wing, this Hawk 

 may be distinguished from others by its slender form 

 and the greater extent of its finely pointed wings in 

 proportion to the length of its tail. 



MKUI.IN 11 to 12* inches 

 KESTREL-14 to 15* inches. 



Both are more thickly set birds, and lack the loaf, 



attenuated wings of the Hobby. The Kestrel U, beside*. 



a stationary horerer in mid-air. 

 SPARROW-HAWK IS to 15} inches; wings blunt and 



short ; under parts with fine transverse bars. 



PEREGRINE FALCON. Plate 74. MaU . 15 

 inches. Upper parts dark blue-gray, blackish on the 

 head and nape, but lighter towards the tail ; mous- 

 taches black ; throat, fore-neck, and a small patch on 

 the side of the neck clear white; under surface of 

 body white, with fine, close, dark cross-bars; under 



