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NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



Very close to these are several beautiful species which are similarly grouped to- 

 gether under the sub-generic title Hypotriorchis, and of which the English hobby, 

 F, subbuteo, is the smallest member. This is an elegantly shaped bird of inconspicuous 

 colors, not distantly resembling a boldly marked, immature peregrine, readily recog- 

 nized by its (for a falcon) extremely long wings. It has a wide distribution in the old 

 world, being found almost everywhere in Europe, Asia, and Africa. While it fre- 



FIG. 149. Falco subbuteo, hobby. 



quently captures birds of considerable size, and has even a superabundance of courage 

 and wing-power, a favorite food while in England is large insects, especially beetles 

 and dragon-flies, which it catches on the wing, often hunting the beetles in the even- 

 ing until it is quite dark. 



It is unquestionably one of the swiftest of the falcons, delighting to chase and 

 capture swallows, and frequently striking at and annoying large birds, such as herons 

 and cranes, which it evidently has no thought of attempting to kill. According to 



