174 HAWKS. 



to tones of joy and satisfaction on the appearance of 

 any person with whom he was familiar. The nar- 

 rator of the above concludes his account, by adding, 

 that he was as playful as a kitten, and as loving as 

 a dove. In Egypt, and Turkey too, a particular 

 species is often domesticated, and may be seen in 

 the farm-yards and gardens, like the Sparrow-hawk 

 just mentioned, in company with Pigeons, without 

 showing any inclination to injure them; and in the 

 course of 1833, a Hawk, which we believe to be of 

 a similar species to that domesticated in Turkey, 

 namely, the Common-buzzard, not only sat upon the 

 eggs of a common barn-door fowl, but instead of de- 

 vouring them when hatched, according to its natural 

 habit, actually paid them considerable attention, as 

 long as they were allowed to remain in the place where 

 they were hatched, though when removed to another 

 more spacious enclosed situation, with the brood, not- 

 withstanding she showed no inclination to kill them, 

 she avoided them altogether, and incessantly strug- 

 gled round the enclosure in hopes of escaping. 



Another instance has been noticed near Lichfield. 

 A female of the same species, domesticated and 

 kept in a garden, was set with some eggs of the 

 common poultry, which she hatched at the usual 

 time. When the chickens were freed from the 

 shell, this strange stepmother defended them in the 

 most furious manner, scarcely allowing any person 

 to approach the wooden box in which they were 

 hatched and kept, and to which they retired when- 

 ever they chose; and no dog or cat could venture 

 near, without being stoutly assailed by the Buzzard. 

 Its fury far surpassed that of a common Hen, as 



