THE KESTREL 165 



stage of sitting out on the branches their tails 

 come down rapidly, so that the feathers are soon 

 as long as those of their parents. It appears to 

 be a provision of Nature to do away with the 

 nuisance that a long tail would be in the nest, 

 where the feathers would get soiled and bent, 

 if not broken beyond recovery. 



For some weeks after they have left the nest 

 the old birds continue to supply the eyasses with 

 food, the youngsters crying and screaming most 

 piteously if their parents get at all behind with 

 the meals. It is just at this time in their careers 

 that you may sometimes see four or five kestrels 

 together, flying to and fro over the trees and 

 playing in the air. Their aerial gambols are a 

 very pretty sight, for the hawks float round and 

 round, turning and twisting, and driving at one 

 another as if in mimic combat. I imagine that, 

 however playful these games may appear, 

 there is a serious purpose behind them, namely 

 practise for the young ones in the use of their 

 wings, though they fly so well that you would 

 not think they need it. However, they do many 

 tricks, side-slipping, vol-planeing, etc., as if to 

 the manner born, only drawing the line at " looping 

 the loop." The one bird that I have seen attempt 

 something approaching the latter feat was an 

 old cock raven, whose mate was sitting on her 

 nest in a Westmorland crag, while he patrolled 

 round about and kept an eye on the country- 

 side. His chief beat was to and fro along the 

 face of the crag, and apparently he got very 



