THE KESTREL. 



135 



accordingly they contrive a suitable trap for catching them, 

 which rarely fails. A white napkin is spread upon a meadow, 

 and fastened down at the corners with little hooked sticks ; 

 on the middle of the napkin a live sparrow is placed, and 

 kept there by means of a string, three or four inches in length ; 

 slender twigs are stuck up round the four sides of the cloth, 

 to prevent the Kestrel from attacking the Sparrow, excepting 

 from above. Two long slender twigs of weeping willow, well 

 covered with bird-lime, are then stuck in the ground, one 

 at each end of the napkin, both forming an arch over the 

 Sparrow, but at such a distance that it cannot touch them 

 with its wings while fluttering, but still so near as to render 

 it impossible for any Hawk to reach the Sparrow without 

 touching the lime- twigs. The use of the white cloth is 

 merely to attract the attention of the Hawk to the Sparrow 

 at a greater distance. The lime-twigs must be placed so 

 lightly in the ground, that if the Hawk, on finding himself 

 entangled, should struggle, they would still adhere to his 

 feathers, and rise with him into the air if he took flight ; for 



The Sparrow-hawk. 



