138 WOODLAND CREATURES 



straight piece of road, when I became aware of 

 what looked like a dark grey shadow, skimming 

 up the ditch, on the right-hand side of the road, 

 about fifty yards ahead. It was evidently a big 

 female sparrow hawk, and she was keeping the 

 same distance ahead, though we were travelling at 

 over twenty-five miles an hour. On opening 

 the throttle the distance between car and hawk 

 was decreased to about twenty yards, but nearer 

 than that she would not let us get, and at thirty- 

 five miles per hour she was maintaining her distance 

 nicely. Unfortunately the road began to twist, 

 and it was dangerous to drive fast round the 

 corners, so we had to slacken down. She took 

 the opportunity to turn up a by-lane, and we 

 thought she had gone, but out she darted again, 

 and continued up the roadside. After another 

 quarter of a mile she went over the hedge and 

 it seemed as if we had seen the last of her, but 

 back into the road she came once more, and away 

 she sped again before the car. It was a strange 

 chase, but I do not think the hawk was alarmed, 

 for had she been frightened she could so easily have 

 made off; in fact, it appeared as if she was enjoying 

 pitting her wings against the fast-moving object 

 behind her. Just as we were wondering how 

 much farther she would go she turned over the 

 fence, and this time went right away, making 

 for a little wood, where she disappeared among 

 the trees. 



Though fond of skimming along near the ground, 

 the sparrow hawk will on occasion go aloft, 



