CONCERNING A SPARROW HAWK FAMILY 115 



The single young one on the nest set up a plaintive mewing when he saw 

 her approaching, which was taken up by the other three in the branches. 

 Ignoring the absence of three of her family, the mother commenced to tear the 

 victim to pieces, and seemed quite happy when the solitary youngster took from 

 her beak and swallowed the little bits that she gave to him. 



But in the meantime the mewings of the three young ones in the branches 

 were growing more and more insistent, until one by one they returned and 

 shared in the meal. I noticed that before plucking up courage to fly the tone 

 of their mewing grew higher and higher pitched, and was at the moment of 

 taking off exceedingly shrill and very quickly repeated. 



On the following day all four of the young hawks were sitting among the 

 branches, though they would frequently return to the nest to lie down and 

 take a rest. They always greeted the arrival of their parent with an 

 outburst of mewing, and as they gained confidence in their wings, they 

 returned the more readily to her side. 



For yet another week the young hawks returned to the nest for food, 

 although by that time they were experts on the wing, and one might imagine 

 would have found their way further afield. 



On July 15 an unplucked and intact Great Tit was lying on the nest 

 the first bird that I had seen there which had not been plucked. It is possible, 

 since the young hawks must sooner or later acquire the habit of plucking their 

 quarry for themselves, that the parents at this stage purposely bring intact 

 birds to the nest in order to encourage them to make a start. 



Whether either of the young hawks succeeded in plucking it I cannot say, 

 for when one of them came to the nest he merely snatched it up and carried it 

 away, fearful no doubt lest the others should claim a share. 



And so my experience with the Sparrow Hawk family came to an end I 

 did hear of them being fed on the ground some days later, but on trying to 

 approach the place only succeeded in catching a glimpse of their vanishing 

 forms as they flashed away through the trees. 



It may be gathered from the foregoing that the Sparrow Hawk, as well 

 as being a highly temperamental creature, is also extremely courageous. 

 But in order to prove perhaps more conclusively that such really is the 

 case, the following incident, for the truth of which I can personally vouch, may 

 be of interest : 



A sitting female Sparrow Hawk was approached one evening by a 

 man with a gun, who was out to end her life. As she left the nest he fired 

 both barrels at her, but, apparently, only succeeded in dislodging a bunch of 

 feathers. 



On the following day he again went to the nest, but seeing no sign of her, 

 imagined that she had either left the place in terror or had dropped among the 

 trees to die. 



