SOME BIRD NOTES 221 



legs." They happened to drop some, which were picked up 

 and examined. It is just possible, from the situation 

 referred to, that the * swallows ' may have been house- 

 martins, but the fact that any of the Hirundina will admit 

 the Tipula into their bill of fare is interesting to me, for I 

 had long watched this species when insect hunting, specially 

 to see if this insect was captured, but could never really 

 satisfy myself that such was the case. 



****** 



MISTAKEN HAWKS 



Various species of the smaller hawks occasionally put in 

 an appearance during the autumnal migration, coming over 

 with the various little travellers from " the other side." They 

 invariably arrive hungry and eager for a meal. In the 70*5 

 and So's it was no unusual occurrence for kestrels and 

 merlins to dash into clap-nets, attracted thither by the 

 struggling decoy bird fast on the "trigger." In most cases 

 the poor thing was killed instantly, but the hawk never 

 escaped, for the angry bird-catcher would at once pull over 

 the nets, hoping in vain to save his decoy. And a lively 

 time followed in clearing the struggling, screaming hawk 

 from the thin, airy meshes. I have had several captives 

 brought me at different times, caught in this manner. 



One day a bird-catcher was " laid " on the sand-dunes for 

 linnets and other small song birds. One of his cages was 

 dome-shaped, the wires converging at the top, making it 

 very much the shape of an old-fashioned crab-pot. A 

 merlin suddenly dashed down at the bird in this cage, 

 striking it through the wires and killing it instantly. It 

 attempted to rise with its prey, but its foot had slipped 

 upwards to the more contracted part of the cage. It 

 managed, however, to flounder along some little distance 

 before the bird-catcher could run up and secure it. 



A hawk was seen by a friend of mine chasing a small 

 bunch of starlings, which had behaved in a somewhat 

 impudent manner to the common enemy. Presently it 

 made a dash at one, seized it, and flew to an adjoining 

 bank in order to settle matters with it. By some stroke of 

 luck the starling managed to free itself, dashed away across 



