350 THE SPARROW-HAWK 



" Enough for me 



To boast the gentle spar-hawk on my fist, 

 Or fly the partridge o'er the bristly field, 

 Retrieve the covey with my busy train, 

 Or with my soaring hobby, dare the lark." 



The male Sparrow-hawk is about 12 inches long, the 

 female often 15 inches. It has a long tail; its legs are 

 slender, long and bare of feathers. The claws are sharp 

 as needles. The toes are strong and the middle one is 

 very long and slender. The bill is abruptly curved 

 from the base, with a greenish-yellow cere. The 

 plumage is bluish-grey above; while beneath, on the 

 belly, it is crossed with wavy lines on a light ground. 

 The tail has five dark ribbon-like bands across it. The 

 Sparrow-hawk nests by preference in spruce plantations 

 at a height of from 12 to 15 feet; it also makes use of 

 deserted crows' nests. The clutch consists of four or 

 five, occasionally six, and still more rarely seven eggs, 

 chalky-white or greenish in colour, with drab-coloured 

 spots . 



Too often a victim. 



