Waxwings and Hawks 289 



persons distinguish between them. To anyone familiar 

 with it, it is the note of the Tree Sparrow that is likely first 

 to betray its presence ; while its slimmer form, and more 

 sprightly habits, are also better distinguishing features at a 

 distance, than the double wing-bar, or the different arrange- 

 ment of the colours on the head. That, unlike the com- 

 mon species, the sexes are alike in plumage, and the young 

 very soon resemble them, are points which are more likely 

 to follow recognition than to lead up to it. 



Amongst other casual visitors noticed were a pair of 

 Siskins, 1 by the side of the lake, on 26th December 1905, 

 so fearless and so busily engaged in feeding upon the alder 

 seeds, that they almost allowed me to touch them with my 

 walking-stick before taking wing, and then only moved to 

 another branch a few feet away. They were quite alone, 

 and were not seen again. 



On yth November 1906, a dull, misty day, with a good 

 many Redwings and Fieldfares moving about, my attention 

 was drawn to a female Sparrow-Hawk beating along a hedge 

 side, not far from the station. She was moving with that 

 slow owl-like flight so characteristic of this bird when 

 on the lookout for prey, and presently she disturbed a 

 Waxwing from the hedge and drove it directly towards me. 

 Though hard pressed for some distance, the bird held 

 boldly on, and darting through the branches of an oak, 

 close to where I stood, threw out its pursuer. It then 

 mounted, chattering loudly, into the air, and was quickly 

 lost to view in the mist. So narrow was its escape, that at 

 more than one twist I saw the long talons of the hawk shot 

 out to grasp it. Curiously enough, the last Waxwings I 

 had seen alive in this country were a pair, in November, a 

 year or two previously, which also happened to be attacked 

 by a hawk. In that instance, however, the aggressor was a 

 Merlin, and the stoop was made at the birds as they sat 

 eating haws, on the top of a hedge within a few yards of us. 

 It would be more correct to say that the stoop was being 

 made, for, just before reaching the quarry, the hawk saw us 



1 Draeniog, meaning a small Hedgehog, is curiously enough the name 

 applied to the Siskin here. 



'9 



