78 HOBBY. 



of 'towering.' The little fellow proved himself to be a true 

 Falcon, by the quickness with which he rose above his quarry 

 in rapid circles, 'climbing to the mountee,' as our ancestors 

 termed this manoeuvre, with all the ease of a Peregrine. 

 Unfortunately, at this juncture the partridge became suddenly 

 lifeless, as is the case with all towering birds, and fell to the 

 ground; while the Hobby, apparently disdaining to accept a 

 victim which he had not obtained by his own exertions, 

 scudded away after a fresh covey.' 



In Ireland, it is the opinion, much to be depended on, of 

 "William Thompson, Esq., of Belfast, that the few individuals 

 of the Hobby recorded in former years as having occurred, 

 have been males of the Peregrine. He gives only one speci- 

 men as having indubitably been met, which was shot on his 

 garden wall by Parker, Esq., of Carrigrohan, about three 

 or four miles from Cork, up the beautiful River Lee. It by 

 no means affects only the wilder districts, but is to be seen 

 in such as are best cultivated, preferring, of course, those in 

 which wood is plentiful. 



It is said that the Hobby is in this country a summer 

 visitor, appearing in April, and departing towards the end of 

 October, or beginning of November. It has however been 

 seen in the month of December, in the pursuit of its game, 

 so that it would appear, at all events, not to be universally 

 a migratory bird, at least from this country; it may besides 

 make partial migrations from one locality to another, as pleasure 

 or necessity happens to direct. It has been kept throughout 

 the winter without any difficulty, by the Revs. A. and H. 

 Matthews. It flies, like others of its tribe, till late in the 

 evening, in pursuit of insects or other food. 



The flight of this species is extremely rapid and easy, per- 

 formed with little motion of the wings, and it continues for 

 a long time together on the wing. It will sometimes 'tower' 

 upwards in the most spirited manner in pursuit of its prey. 



Its food consists of small birds, such as snipes, plovers, 

 swallows, sandpipers, quails, and thrushes, and it would appear 

 to be particularly partial to larks and buntings. It will even 

 fly at the partridge, though a bird of so much greater bulk 

 than itself. It also feeds on the larger coleopterous insects, 

 such as cockchaffers, and on grasshoppers; the former it 

 sometimes hawks after over ponds and streams until late in 

 the evening. The male and female are said, according to 

 Meyer, to hunt together, but sometimes to quarrel for what 



