160 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xix. 



back to his own side of the river, the rightful owner of the 

 eggs pursuing the active little robber with loud cries and the 

 most awkward attempts at catching him. 



The heron is a noble and picturesque looking bird, as she sails 

 quietly through the air with outstretched wings and slow flight ; 

 but nothing is more ridiculous and undignified than her appear- 

 ance as she vainly chases the jackdaw or hooded crow who is 

 carrying off her egg, and darting rapidly round the angles and 

 corners of the rocks. Now and then every heron raises its head 

 and looks on the alert as the peregrine falcon, with rapid and 

 direct flight, passes their crowded dominion ; but intent on his 

 own nest, built on the rock some little way farther on, the hawk 

 takes no notice of his long-legged neighbours, who soon settle 

 down again into their attitudes of rest. The kestrel-hawk fre- 

 quents the same part of the river, and lives in amity with the 

 wood-pigeons that breed in every cluster of ivy which clings to 

 the rocks. Even that bold and fearless enemy of all the pigeon 

 race, the sparrowhawk, frequently has her nest within a few 

 yards of the wood-pigeon, and you see these birds (at all other 

 seasons such deadly enemies) passing each other in their way to 

 and fro from their respective nests in perfect peace and amity. 

 It has seemed to me that the sparrowhawk and wood-pigeon 

 during the breeding-season frequently enter into a mutual com- 

 pact against the crows and jackdaws, who are constantly on the 

 look-out for the eggs of all other birds. The hawk appears to 

 depend on the vigilance of the wood-pigeon to warn him of the 

 approach of these marauders ; and then the brave little warrior 

 sallies out, and is not satisfied till he has driven the crow to a 

 safe distance from the nests of himself and his more peaceable 

 ally. At least in no other way can I account for these two 

 birds so very frequently breeding not only in the same range of 

 rock, but within two or three yards of each other. 



