92 



KESTREL. 



WINDHOVEK. STONEGALL. STANKEL HAWK. 



Falco Tinnunculus, MONTAGU. SELBY. 



Accipiter alaudarius, BRISSON. 



Falco Tinnunculus. Falco To cut with a bill or hook. 



Tinnunculus Conjectured from Tinnio To chirp. 



THIS species is in my opinion, not only, as it is usually 

 described to be, one of the commonest, but the commonest of 

 the British species of Hawks. It is found in all parts of 

 Europe Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, 

 Lapland, Greece, and Switzerland; and also in Asia, in Siberia; 

 in Central Africa, and at the Cape of Good Hope; and also, 

 according to Meyer, in America. It is easily reclaimed, and 

 was taught to capture larks, snipes, and young partridges. It 

 becomes very familiar when tamed, and will live on terms of 

 perfect amity with other small birds, its companions. It formed, 

 and perhaps still forms, one of the so-called 'happy family,' to be 

 seen, or which was lately to be seen, in London. The Kestrel 

 has frequently been taken by its pursuing small birds into a 

 room or building. It does infinitely more good than harm, 

 if indeed it does any harm at all, and its stolid destruction 

 by gamekeepers and others, is much to be lamented, and 

 should be deprecated by all who are able to interfere for the 

 preservation of a bird which is an ornament to the country. 



These birds appear to be of a pugnacious disposition, 

 J. W. G. Spicer, Esq., of Esher Place, Surrey, writing in the 

 'Zoologist,' pages 654-5, says, 'all of a sudden, from two 

 trees near me, and about fifty yards apart, two Hawks rushed 

 simultaneously at each other, and began fighting most furiously, 

 screaming and tumbling over and over in the air. I fired 

 and shot them both, and they were so firmly grappled together 

 by their talons, that I could hardly separate them, though 



