106 HALF-HOURS IN 1HE GREEN LANES. 



which induce certain species of birds to leave us on 

 the approach of winter, and others from the extremer 

 north to take their places. Dr. Tristram and others 

 have shown that our migratory birds which pass the 

 winter in Africa, are affected by the same love of 

 locality there as they display here. 



The rambler will not see many birds of prey in 

 our green lanes now. What with gamekeepers and 

 the former absence of a gun tax, they have 

 been pretty well thinned off. The Sparrow-hawk 

 (Accipiter nisus) still keeps its place among us, its 

 small size, perhaps, having protected it. Perhaps 

 its nest may be found in some neighbouring tree, 

 where it has taken possession of one that formerly 

 belonged to a crow. The young female sparrow- 

 hawks seem to be terrible cannibals, for it is 

 authoritatively reported of them that they will 

 destroy and devour the young males ! The female 

 bird is one-fourth bigger than the male, and pro- 

 portionately more powerful. We remember watching 

 one of these birds strike at a sparrow last summer. 

 The latter dodged to and fro, and at least reached 

 the cover of a barn. But long before the Hawk 

 could get over his disappointment and fly away, it 

 was literally " mobbed " by a host of angry chirping 

 sparrows that rushed from the eaves of the building, 

 and literally made the hawk glad to get away ! 



The Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is another of our 

 commonest birds of prey. Like the preceding 

 species, it will sometimes make a home of an old 



