THE CHICKEN THIEF 



55 



very near the nest without his presence being 

 detected, and the most he could get, as a rule, 

 was a fleeting glimpse, through the trees, of a 

 swiftly flying bird. The few times when 



At times they would walk out on a limb as though preparing for flight. 



Mother Cooper Hawk did remain she kept 

 herself hidden among the leaves and not very 

 near at hand. 



He did not find it an easy matter to deter- 

 mine their menu. The Sparrow Hawk family 

 left the fragments of their dinner in the nest 

 so that he easily determined daily what they 



