ATTACK AND PURSUIT. 29 



ease across the water, suffered them to pass unmo- 

 lested. Next came two or three wigeons, which 

 also ran the gauntlet with impunity. I now 

 began to fancy that the appetite of the hawk 

 must have been satisfied by some recent prey, 

 or that perhaps the bird which I had seen her 

 strike two days before might remain still undi- 

 gested. Just at that moment, however, a whist- 

 ling of wings reached my ear ; and I perceived a 

 party of five or six wild ducks and a few teal 

 approaching from a different direction, and nearly 

 at right-angles to the course of the river, which 

 they would apparently have reached at a point 

 about thirty yards distant from the falcon's posi- 

 tion. But she had no intention of allowing them 

 such an advantage. In an instant she was on the 

 wing, and had cut them off from their retreat. 

 For a few seconds it seemed doubtful which was 

 to be the victim, but one of the mallards having 

 made a bolder dash at the stream than his com- 

 panions, she seemed to mark him at once for 

 destruction, while on his part he endeavoured 

 to mount above his pursuer, and strained every 

 nerve to accomplish this object by ascending spi- 

 rally. In the meantime his comrades, availing 

 themselves of this diversion in their favour, scud- 

 ded down to the water and dashed at once into 

 the friendly shelter of the sedges. Almost at the 



