146 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



Daily exercised in flying for food, which was 

 swung for her on a string, she soon became very 

 adroit in use both of wings and feet, and grew so 

 tame that she would come to the hand at any 

 time, even when holding food in the foot. And in 

 the dark, if I came near the summer-house, she 

 would fly to the limit of the tether, all the while 

 uttering the same little cry which was given when 

 in daylight she perched on the glove and pecked it 

 prettily. In the autumn the jesses were slipped 

 every day, and the bird was flown free. Then her 

 opportunities of swift and dexterous flight were 

 increased, and she took full advantage of them ; 

 indeed, it was marvellous how certainly she seized 

 the food in the space of a few moments, try how I 

 would to whirl it out of reach. Round and round 

 she flew, with even glide or rapid beat ; and with 

 impetuous turnings, pounces and rushes, she darted 

 exactly at the appropriate moment to the lure, 

 sometimes fairly hurling herself down, and with 

 such abandon that she reached the ground vio- 

 lently and fell with wings and tail spread, their 

 symmetry of form and colour the clearer in con- 

 trast with the grass ; but, surely enough, with 



