164 THE KESTREL. 



fact will prove. One of them was observed to seize 

 a young Blackbird, just able to fly, which it was 

 in the act of carrying off in its talons. The old 

 Blackbird gave chase with loud cries, and apparent 

 determination to rescue her young one, when the 

 Kestrel, having allowed her to approach unmolested, 

 in an instant dropped the young bird, and as instan- 

 taneously caught up the screaming parent, and car- 

 ried her clear away. The habit of hawking on the 

 wing has been further proved by its having been seen 

 on summer evenings, darting amongst a swarm of 

 cockchafers, seizing one in each claw, and eating 

 them on the wing, and then again darting amongst 

 them. 



That birds possibly may, by their swifter flight, 

 often escape, is not unlikely ; but exclusive of the 

 above instances, bird-catchers know to their cost, 

 while patiently watching their nets, how often the 

 Kestrel, hovering over the field, will pounce down 

 and destroy their most valuable call-birds; accord- 

 ingly they contrive a suitable trap for catching him, 

 which rarely fails. A white napkin is spread upon 

 a meadow, and fastened down at the corners with 

 little hooked sticks ; on the middle of the napkin a 

 live Sparrow is placed, and kept there by means of a 

 string, three or four inches in length; slender twigs 

 are stuck up round the four sides of the cloth, to 

 prevent the Kestrel from attacking the Sparrow, 

 excepting from above. Two long slender twigs of 

 weeping willow, well covered with bird-lime, are 

 then stuck in the ground, one at each end of the 

 napkin, both forming an arch over the Sparrow, but 

 at such a distance that it cannot touch them with 



